A New Goddess in Town
by Darkglade
Summary: God's death had left them broken, devoid of their original purpose. Their numbers dwindled as they fell one by one to despair, until hope herself came to raise them back up. (No Rebellion)
1. To the beginning

In most mythologies, gods were powerful and revered beings. They inspired awe, admiration, or even terror in their followers. They were a beacon of light to their believers, guiding them towards a certain path. Above all else, they were beings worthy of respect.

Sayaka really wished that her best friend would act more like a goddess right now.

"Oh my God, Sayaka-chan. This is the Garden of Eden! The very one referenced in the Bible! Do you think I'll become smarter if I eat the fruit from that tree there?!"

"You're already omniscient to an extent. I'm not sure if eating that fruit would do anything for you, aside from making you put on more weight."

Sayaka inwardly chuckled as Madoka began to stutter out denials. Despite her ascension to godhood, Madoka could still act like the innocent and bubbly girl she once was.

"As fascinating as this place is, there are still several more floors to go," Michael said as he smiled in amusement at the two's antics. "I'm sure you will be far more impressed by the upper levels."

"Ahhh, don't be such a downer pretty boy," Sayaka teasingly replied.

Madoka, however, straightened up at the reminder. "He's right, Sayaka-chan. We should get going." She gave her friend a bright smile as she continued, "I'm sure we'll have more time to explore later!"

As Michael led the two of them to the next floor, he briefly recalled the events that led them to this point.

The time when a divine being once again sat on the Throne of God.

 _He was kneeling before God's throne on the seventh floor of Heaven. It was a routine he had adopted soon after he became the leader of Heaven after his Father's death in the Great War. Although he knew that no one would answer, he sat there and prayed._

 _For the strength and courage to be a good leader._

 _For the wellbeing of Heaven's residents and its followers on earth._

 _For the knowledge to know what He would do._

 _As usual, the room remained silent. But even so, he felt a little bit better. As he turned to leave, he sensed a pulse of power._

 _He froze in his tracks._ Can it be? _He wondered._ No, it's impossible. Father is dead, and nothing can bring him back.

 _But even so, this kind and benevolent aura that washed over him was achingly familiar. He frowned a little. Although similar, this divine power felt different from that of the original God. It felt more . . . feminine?_

 _Just as he thought that, a bright light enveloped the room. Once it died down, a beautiful woman stood in the center of the room._

 _Her long pink hair flowed down her back, with two white ribbons nestled on top of her head._

 _Her long white dress billowed out around her, and her slender hands were encased in pure white gloves._

 _Her face was young and innocent, with a gentle expression that seemed to naturally suit her._

 _But her most striking feature were her eyes._

 _Two brilliant golden eyes that seemed to hold a great deal of wisdom despite her apparent age._

 _When she looked at him, Michael felt as though they pierced his very soul._

" _It's nice to meet you," she said with a voice that was soft yet strong. Not at all like the booming voices that the gods in the other pantheons seemed to prefer. "I am the Law of Cycles; the one who brings hope to those mired in despair."_

 _Her smile was radiant, outstripping even the sun's glory. "But you can just call me Madoka."_

 _His mind was frozen, but his body had long since grown accustomed to greeting beings of higher station._

" _Goddess Madoka . . ." He bowed his head. Even if she wasn't the god he worshipped, he would still show her the deference a being of her station deserved. "Why are you here, in front of the Throne of Heaven?"_

 _Her expression saddened, as if pained by what she was about to say. "There is a vacancy here, is there not?"_

 _Michael's head shot up. Even among the faction of Heaven, few knew the truth of God's demise. How could an outsider, even one with divine status, have known of this closely guarded secret?_

 _The goddess continued, untroubled by Michael's panicked thoughts,_ " _I can feel the emptiness in this place. A void that will slowly consume those that live here, leaving nothing but empty husks behind." She turned to him, a serious expression hardening her gentle face. "As the goddess of hope, I cannot idly stand by and watch a place that was once bright with joy fall into despair."_

 _Her face softened as she held out a hand. "Will you allow me to help you and your people avoid a tragic end?"_

 _Michael stared at her outstretched hand for a while. He was still shocked by the goddess's sudden appearance, and he couldn't help but be a little suspicious. "Why would you help us? What do you stand to gain?"_

 _A lifetime of dealing with treacherous devils and devious fallen had left him wary of outsiders. But the goddess was undeterred by his mistrust._

" _Didn't I just say it? It is in my nature; salvation is my identity as a divine being." Her face grew somber. "I take on all the hate, all the regret, all the despair from those who are doomed to a dismal fate."_

 _Her voice sharpened as she displayed her resolve. "For those who would curse the world in their dying breath, I take away their bitterness and give them the peace that they deserve. After all, . . ."_

 _Her expression grew sorrowful once more. "It would be too sad if those who lived lives rife with misfortune met their end in the pits of despair." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I just want to help. That's all."_

 _The goddess's words resonated deep within Michael's soul. But even so, he couldn't help but feel that the offer was too good to be true. The only god he knew to be truly benevolent was Father . . ._

 _His eyes widened as he remembered that the goddess's aura felt like that of his creator._ Her warmth and kindness . . . is genuine . . . and she bears the sins of those she saves so that they can be free from such heavy burdens . . .

 _Michael couldn't help but be amazed at her benevolence._ Could she really be . . . the one I've been waiting for all along?

Someone to lead and guide Heaven in a kind, confident, and righteous manner, just as Father did.

Someone to counteract the corrupt and isolationist policies that had sprung up under his indecisive rule.

Someone to make the heavens swell with laughter and joy, as it did in days long past.

 _Ever since that fateful day, Michael had been in a perpetual state of stress. Afraid that his choices would lead his people to ruin. Afraid that one of the other factions would discover their great weakness and wipe them out while they were vulnerable._

 _But above all else . . ._

 _He was afraid that Father would be disappointed with him._

 _Wasn't that the greatest fear of any child?_

I don't want . . . to shoulder this burden anymore . . . But someone like her . . . I don't think I would mind following someone like that . . . If she were to take the throne . . .

Then we might finally have hope again.

 _Despite these tempting ideas, Michael hesitated with his decision. Although he desperately wanted to accept her offer, Heaven had only deteriorated under his leadership. He didn't know if he was making the right choices._ Oh Father, if only you were still here and could show me the way!

 _But of course, his Father's absence was the only reason he was in the present situation._

 _He fervently prayed._ If I can only make one right decision for the rest of my life . . .

Please let it be this one.

 _And so, he reached forward and took the goddess's hand._

xxx

In life, Madoka was never the smartest person. Her grades had been average, and she often struggled in class.

But she doesn't need her goddess's intuition to know that the throne in front of her was way too big. "Am I supposed to sit on that?"

Michael smiled sheepishly as he replied, "Our Father was larger-than-life, oftentimes in a very literal manner."

Sayaka whistled as she peered at the symbol of God's rule. "I see what you mean by the upper levels being more "impressive" now."

Michael chuckled nervously. "This isn't quite what I was referring to when I mentioned that . . ." He turned to Madoka as he continued, "But regardless, this throne belongs to you now, my Goddess." He bowed to her. "Take your place on it, so that all may know of your ascent to the mantle of Heaven's leader."

Madoka, however, could only shake her head. "It wouldn't feel right, for me to be up there and lording myself over you all." She clasped her hands together as she smiled. "I suppose you can say I prefer a more . . . personal approach."

Her mind flashed back to one of the many magical girls she had saved.

 _The girl was panting heavily. Her clothes were torn, and her hair disheveled. While those traits would already be concerning in of themselves, the most alarming feature . . ._

 _Was her pitch-black Soul Gem._

 _The girl was sobbing. She knew her time was near, but all she could feel was the nauseous, choking sensation of despair._ Why? Why must it end like this?

 _She made a wish in hopes of a better future, but her path ultimately led to a miserable end. Slowly fading away at the base of a tree. No one to see her off. No one to hold her hand and tell her everything will be okay. All her family had long since died off, and she was the last of a once bright and cheery group of magical girls. All the others had long since perished at the ghastly claws of the wraiths they fought to sustain themselves._

 _But as her mind faded, she felt a warm touch on her hand._

 _No, on her very soul._

 _It was soothing, like a mother's voice to her child. It promised a peaceful rest, an escape from all the worries and sadness that permeated life._

" _It's okay," the voice whispered. "You can rest easy now."_

 _The tone was light and cherry, a welcome reprieve from the gruff voices she grew up around._

" _I won't let your wish end in despair."_

 _She wasn't sure what was going on, but as her soul melted away, she had one last thought._ If this is what dying feels like . . .

 _She turned her head and glimpsed long pink locks and warm golden eyes._ Then maybe it isn't so bad after all . . .

 _And so, the girl closed her eyes for the last time._

 _The goddess who had come to claim the girl smiled sadly at her tragic past and terrible hardships._ At the very least, she's in a better place now.

 _The fragment of the Law of Cycles dissipated._ I'll make sure of that with my own two hands.

xxx

The Holy System was one of Heaven's most important functions. It was what made blessed objects harmful to devils, what allowed God to enact his miracles, and what determined who could be saved. All of these were highly integral aspects of Heaven.

Unfortunately, it could be quite difficult to use.

"Um . . . what does this button do again?" Madoka asked confusedly.

Despite her status as a goddess, the machine was created by one who was on an equal or greater level of existence as her, so it was only natural that His creations would be difficult to grasp.

"Ah, that takes you to the menu that deals with the management of the Sacred Gear System, which is what allocates various artifacts created by Him to suitable human hosts to give humanity an advantage against the supernatural," Michael patiently explained. He was never able to use the system as effectively as God, but he still managed to learn how to operate it on a basic level.

"Oh, I see! I think I'm starting to get the hang of this." Madoka twisted some levers around and caused a bright flash of light to emit.

Michael blinked from the sudden flash, then shook his head to reorient himself. "I believe that you just granted someone's prayer for a miraculous recovery from a terminal illness."

Madoka gasped and jumped happily as she exclaimed, "Really? That's great! And uh . . . completely intentional!"

Michael smiled knowingly in response. "You clearly have a natural affinity for this. It took me months for me to perform even basic tasks, and I was never able to do anything as great as enact a miracle. You should be proud of what you managed to accomplish."

Madoka smiled and thanked him for the praise.

Meanwhile, Sayaka was growing impatient. "Are you two done yet? My feet are falling asleep over here."

"Ah, sorry to keep you waiting, Sayaka-chan." Madoka skipped to the exit, then turned back to face them. "Let's go back to the lower floors! I want to see how my girls are faring."

As they travelled to Third Heaven, they passed by several lower-ranking angels. Many of them stole glances at Madoka and her entourage and whispered to each other their wild speculations.

Michael frowned at their disrespect. "I'll have a word with them later about being more respectful to their new leader."

Madoka shook her head in response. "I don't blame them for acting like that. Having a new goddess move in is probably the most exciting thing to happen since the Great War, and they're hungry to know all the details."

The other Great Seraphs had taken news of Madoka's new position with mixed reactions.

Gabriel had squealed and hugged her, calling her adorable.

Uriel had been dissatisfied and considered Michael's decision to be rash and impulsive, but ultimately decided to wait and see what will happen before passing judgement.

Raphael had just nodded at her before striking up a conversation with Sayaka about the properties of healing magic.

The lesser Seraphs had a wide variety of responses, but the dissenters eventually deferred to Michael's authority and grudgingly accepted the new situation. The rank-and-file angels were just glad that something new had happened.

All in all, quite a smooth transition considering the magnitude of the change.

"Ah, we're here," Madoka said, startling Michael out of his thoughts.

He looked ahead and saw that they had stopped in front of a set of pink, wooden double-doors. They appeared to be detached from reality, existing in the middle of nowhere.

"I don't recall something like this being present in Third Heaven . . ." he muttered with a bemused expression.

Madoka smiled warmly at him as she replied, "I have a bit of prior experience with managing an afterlife."

Sayaka looped an arm around Madoka's neck and pulled her in. "As you can see, Madoka-chan here is very qualified for this job! Aren't you glad you hired her now?"

Madoka laughed lightly at her friend's teasing. "You think too highly of me, Sayaka-chan."

"Don't be so modest! Who else can say that their best friend is a goddess huh?"

Watching the two of them interact never failed to bring a smile to Michael's face. _They look so young, but one of them bears such a heavy burden._

Sayaka urged them forward. "Come on! I bet they're dying to see you again, Madoka-chan."

They opened the door and disappeared into the void.

xxx

The first thing that Michael noticed upon reorienting himself was the smell.

Unlike the crisp, clean air of Heaven, the scent he found himself inhaling right now was much more fragrant. It reminded him of a field of flowers, blooming in the spring. Unlike Heaven, which emphasized purity, this place felt much more lively and joyful.

It felt like it was filled with hope.

"Madoka-chan! You're finally back!"

The goddess was tackled by a white and pink missile that embraced her tightly. She smiled warmly at the smaller girl. "I was only gone for a little while, Nagisa-chan." She reciprocated the hug as she continued, "But I'm glad to see you again too!"

They embraced for a while longer before releasing each other. Nagisa turned to Michael with a curious expression. "Oh? Who's this?"

Madoka smiled and introduced him, "This is Michael-san. He's a new friend!"

He leaned forward and offered his hand.

The bubbly girl excitedly accepted the gesture. "It's nice to meet you Mister!"

As he interacted with the little girl, he couldn't help but take note of her apparent age. _She's so young . . . and this is supposed to be an afterlife of some sorts?_

Michael scanned the horizon. All he could see was a wide array of brightly dressed girls who had shown up to welcome their goddess back. The thing that bugged him the most was . . .

"Why are so many of these girls . . . so young?"

If this really was some kind of heaven, then the presence of so many adolescent girls could only mean—

 _Why are so many children dying young?!_

Madoka turned to him with a sad smile. "All of these girls were willing to risk their lives for the sake of a single goal, a single wish." She looked over the large group of girls in a loving and tender manner. "I am not the one who starts them on their journey, but I _am_ the one who takes them in at the end."

Her eyes narrowed, and her voice grew steely. "The one who instigated this would have them drown in despair at the end of their journey, but I will not allow it. For people who have sacrificed so much, the least they deserve is a peaceful rest."

As Nagisa dragged Madoka off to meet with the rest of her followers, Michael couldn't help but marvel at how often his new goddess managed to surprise him. _She looks innocent and unassuming at first, but there is an unshakeable resolve hidden underneath._

He observed how each of the girls enthusiastically greeted Madoka and noticed how the goddess took a bit of time to speak to each one of them. _Their devotion to her is plain to see, and they seem to adore her for her personal interactions with them._

His Father had been more partial to a hands-off approach; aside from a few miracles here and there near the beginning of mankind's history, he had allowed humans to progress and develop at their natural pace.

 _Many of my brethren were dissatisfied with such an approach._

" _Look at all the humans being reincarnated as devils! Look at how the Sacred Gears, your gifts to them, are being pervaded by that which they were meant to combat!"_

 _They cried out at what they perceived to be injustice, but God merely smiled at them and told them to be patient. Now that He is dead, we will never know what He planned to happen. Who was right in the end? I don't think we will ever know._

 _Heaven has fallen to such a pitiful state but . . ._

He looked at the young deity being swarmed by crowds of her worshippers.

He watched as she laughed and smiled with them.

 _I think we finally have hope again._

xxx

"What do you think of Heaven so far, Madoka-sama?"

"It's quite nice! A bit more uptight than what I was used to, but I should be able to loosen things up soon!"

Her face turned serious as she shifted topics. "More importantly, I've noticed that there really aren't that many angels here, are there?"

Michael sighed as he dredged up unpleasant memories. "Indeed, Heaven took the largest amount of causalities during the Great War, including God himself along with thousands of lesser angels and hundreds of higher-ranking seraphs. Many more fell after learning of their creator's death. Some just left Heaven and disappeared. Only a tiny fraction of angels remain."

He grimaced as he continued, "With such a drastic loss of manpower, we have been unable to maintain as many congregations as we would like, thus severely lowering the amount of faith we receive from the human populace. This will also negatively impact your ability to influence the world."

He thought back to the crowd of young girls cheering at her return. "However, the offerings you receive from your previous position are likely enough to sustain you for quite a while. But now that you have more duties than before, you will likely be strained to the limit trying to manage all of it."

Madoka frowned as she pondered deeply the issue of rebuilding Heaven. After gathering her thoughts, she said, "So, we should try to improve our influence on the human population so that we can gather more faith, and thus more power for me to use."

Michael nodded in agreement. "We are in an uneasy truce with the devils and fallen angels now, but we never know when hostilities will break out again. It would be for the best if we are well prepared when that time comes."

The goddess was somewhat puzzled. "Why are you so sure that fighting will break out again?"

He sighed. "Because we have been in conflict with each other since time immemorial. Unless something drastic happens, it is unlikely that will change."

She tapped her chin in thought. "Well, Heaven having a new goddess in charge is pretty drastic, isn't it?"

"That is . . . certainly unprecedented," Michael admitted. "But . . . are you certain? Mending relationships is no easy task, especially one based on an eternity of hatred and bloodshed."

"The cycle must be broken. And I will be the one to break it." She smiled. "I have broken one cycle of suffering already, so I do have some experience."

"Very well then," he said. "But before we deal with inter-faction politics, we should get our own affairs in order. There are a few churches in Italy that are understaffed –"

"Are there any churches near devil or fallen angel territory?" Madoka suddenly asked.

The archangel paused. "Well . . . I believe that there is an abandoned church in Kuoh," he reluctantly divulged.

"Perfect. That will be my starting point. Don't worry about the logistics, I'll be sending my own people for this."

Michael sighed. He thought instigating relations when they were still weakened to be a reckless move, but . . .

His decisions were why Heaven was in such a sorry state.

Was he in any position to argue against Her?

"As you wish, Goddess."

She mimed picking up a phone, even though it was wholly unnecessary for what she was about to do.

After all, telepathy wasn't constrained by such physical attributes.

" _Homura-chan? How do you feel about a trip to Kuoh?"_


	2. For you I'd steal the stars

Homura stared at the derelict building in front of her, willing it to reveal its secrets to her through sheer willpower alone.

She didn't expect much from an abandoned church, but it looked well-kept even though it had supposedly been vacant for years.

"Something doesn't feel right . . . ."

Battle-honed instincts warned her that something was amiss. As she approached the entrance, the nagging feeling only grew stronger and stronger. She stared at the large oaken doors, briefly contemplating her options. _Normally I would like to prepare before doing anything potentially dangerous . . ._ _But I should at least investigate this disturbance first._

She pushed open the doors, the hinges creaking loudly as they yielded. The church had a mildly irritating odor, and dust covered many of the altars and seating areas. Her sharp eyes noticed that there were many large, empty pockets among several of the dusty areas. _This area has been used recently._

Someone yawned as they stumbled out of one of the side rooms. A tall woman with long blue hair greeted her with a smile, "Oh? I didn't think we'd have a guest this late." Her expression quickly turned vicious. "You've caught us at a bad time, so I'll just have to dispose of you now."

A spear of pure light formed in her hand. Without hesitation, she deftly hurled it at Homura. The projectile screamed through the air at a speed that no normal human could track and avoid in time.

But Homura had long since surpassed such limits.

She calmly sidestepped the throw and analyzed her opponent with a critical gaze. "It seems a plague of rats have infested this church. I suppose I'll have to clear them out."

The other woman's face contorted with fury. "You dare compare us to rats, filthy human?" Two pitch black wings sprouted from behind her. "I'll make your death as painful as possible for that insult!"

She began to hurl spear after spear in a frenzy while Homura nimbly dodged around all of them with a bored expression.

Suddenly, an irritated voice called from upstairs, "What's with this racket?!" A buxom woman with black hair appeared at the entrance to the stairwell with a deep scowl marring her face. "A lone human? Hurry up and get rid of her, Kalawarner! You know that _she's_ going to come soon, and we can't afford any setbacks!"

Behind her, a short blond girl wearing a Gothic Lolita dress groggily stepped into view. A man wearing a fedora and a trench coat marched past both of them and scrutinized the scene with an intrigued expression.

Kalawarner snarled back, "What does it look like I'm doing, Raynare?! This bitch just won't die no matter how many I throw at her!"

The man's stern voice cut into their argument. "She's no ordinary human."

Raynare whirled on him as she hissed, "And just what is that supposed to mean, Dohnaseek?!"

He grinned eagerly as he observed Homura's posture. "She definitely has battle experience. I can tell just from the way she moves." He materialized a spear and began to approach. "Allow me to deal with her. I've been itching for a good fight!"

He rushed in and swung wildly at the girl.

Only for his lance to meet thin air.

"Eh . . .?" He glanced up. Homura was above him, her black bow manifested and an arrow already drawn.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Shit."

The impact of the projectile released a shockwave that violently threw him into the ground and cratered the floor.

Homura landed gracefully and flipped her hair. "Reckless." She kicked Dohnaseek's limp body away. "Weak as well."

The other Fallen Angels, seeing their comrade being defeated so easily, were even further infuriated. Kalawarner, her voice trembling with rage, said, "What I'm about to put you through . . . will make you beg me to put you out of your misery!"

"Don't have too much fun," the blond girl said, her rising bloodlust heavily contrasting her innocent appearance. "I wouldn't mind playing with her broken body for a bit before sending her off."

Raynare interjected angrily, "Stop fooling around Mittelt!" She began to create as many light spears as she could. "We don't have any time to spare, so we need to kill her quickly! Barrage her with everything you have!"

Homura frowned as she watched the Fallen charge up their attacks. _In such a confined area, I won't be able to dodge all of them._ She shrugged nonchalantly. _Good thing I don't need to._

"FIRE!" Raynare's battle cry marked the beginning of a devastating barrage, resulting in a multitude of explosive impacts that threw up a massive amount of dust. Afterwards, she was panting wearily, but confident in her victory. _Heh, no human could possibly have taken that head on and survived._

She began barking orders, "Well . . . now that that's over with. Mittelt! Go pick up Dohnaseek! Kalawarner, you're still on guard duty. I'm going back to sleep."

"Isn't that a bit too early to be celebrating?" a cold voice interrupted. "I'm still here you know."

The dust finally faded away, and the Fallen bore witness to the two massive angelic wings covering the aisleway. They glistened in the light, with nary a scratch on them despite the brutal attack they had just endured. Slowly, they retracted to reveal a completely uninjured girl who smirked at their dumbfounded expressions.

She smiled predatorily. "It's my turn now."

The bow and arrow reappeared in an instant, and Kalawarner was blasted away before anyone could blink. Mittelt, still frozen in shock, was similarly incapacitated.

Raynare could only just stand there, astonished, as she watched their group be casually dismantled by a single girl. She collapsed to her knees and stammered out, "W – wh – who are you?!" She recalled the pure white wings she had seen. "Are you . . . an angel?"

Homura was briefly startled, then inwardly chuckled at the irony of that statement. "I suppose I am, in a manner of speaking."

Raynare murmured under her breath, "I see . . ." Suddenly, she rose to her feet despite her trembling body. With a voice filled with false bravado, she announced her defiance, "Even if you are an angel, I won't let you get in my way! I'm too close to success to fail now!"

She created a light spear and settled into a battle stance. "Don't think that I'll die as easily as the others!" She rushed in, hoping to catch Homura in close range, where the latter's weapon would be ineffective.

But like Dohnaseek, her swings came up empty. "What!?"

In the corner of her eye she saw the tip of a wing.

A pure white wing.

 _Behind me?!_

Homura stabbed Raynare in the back with an arrow and watched impassively as the Fallen Angel shuddered before listlessly collapsing to the floor. She crouched and felt for the fallen woman's pulse, nodding in satisfaction once she found it. Looking at the other three foes, she noted the steady rise and fall of their chests. Contrary to what Raynare had thought, all her comrades were still alive; Homura had purposely avoided killing them.

 _Should I though?_ Homura's thoughts were in turmoil.Her practical side was screaming at her to kill them, to tie up loose ends before they came back to bite her.But . . _._

 _If I kill them,_ someone _would be disappointed in me._

Her mind flashed back to a gentle face with warm golden eyes.

 _And that would be worse than anything else in the world._

Her hand rose to the ribbon in her hair. She caressed it as she searched for the connection. The bond with the person she cared about most in the world.

" _Homura-chan? Did something happen?"_

A melodic voice whispered in her mind, soothing her worries. If she could listen to that voice for the rest of her life, she would be content.

But for now, she had a job to do. " _Madoka? Can you get Michael-san? I have something that he needs to take care of."_

xxx

Michael and Homura watched impassively as the captured Fallen were carried away by exorcists. "You took down four Fallen all by yourself?" Michael asked. "That's quite an impressive achievement for a human."

Homura brushed off the praise. "They were weak and lacking in both skill and coordination. Defeating them was a trivial task."

He nodded, then his tone grew somber. "I will speak to Azazel about the actions of his subordinates. Setting up a base in an abandoned church and attacking anyone that draws near are reckless actions that could possibly have broken the fragile truce in place if they confronted the wrong people."

"They certainly left a mess in the church. It will be much harder to renovate the church with the craters and debris lying around." Homura looked pointedly at Michael as she ended her statement.

He blinked, then gave a small laugh as he realized her subtle message. "Very well, I will arrange for some skilled construction workers to be sent here to aid you. Their work efficiency is superb, and you can ask them to add some more features to the church while they're at it."

She nodded in satisfaction. "I am grateful for the assistance."

Michael shook his head. "No, it is I who should be thanking you and your Goddess." He bowed his head toward her. "Heaven would have been in much direr straits had She not offered to aid us." He straightened up as he continued, "I will do whatever I can to ease Her burden, whether it be serving as an advisor, an ambassador, or whatever role She needs to be filled."

He suddenly smiled brightly at her. "Speaking of which, there is something She would like you to do to help keep the ordinary people in this town from growing suspicious of you."

Homura frowned as she began to ask, "What are you talking abou—"

" _Homura-chan? You never graduated school, did you?"_

She froze at the abruptness of the question. " _Madoka?! What does that have to do with anything?"_

The goddess giggled as she elaborated. " _I want you to go back to school, Homura-chan! I know that it must have been hard for you, living alone ever since I took Mami and Kyouko . . . ."_

Homura let out a sigh as the mention of those two names caused memories to drift to the forefront of her mind. Although she had never gotten along with either of them particularly well in past timelines, the sheer amount of memories she had accumulated with them throughout her trials to save Madoka allowed her to feel a sort of . . . intimateness with them.

They had felt like a constant throughout her countless lives.

But then they had disappeared. Just like most of the old world.

She had begun wandering after that. With the last of her connections to Mitakihara gone, she had no reason left to stay. Her travels had taken her to many places, but everything changed when she met _him._

She quickly shook her head to dispel the fragments of the past. " _I am fine Madoka. As long as I have my connection with you, I'll never be alone."_

" _It's not healthy for you to rely on me so much you know? You should try to socialize with people your own age!"_

" _My true age surpasses that of any normal human being."_

" _Uh . . . don't worry about that! Anyway, I've asked Michael-kun to prepare papers for your transfer into Kuoh Academy. It will be suspicious if someone that looks as young as you doesn't go to school, so please go for that reason at least!"_

Homura sighed, then conceded the point. " _Very well then. Since you're asking, I'll do it."_

She heard Madoka give a small cheer in her head. " _Thank you for your hard work, Homura-chan! Try to have some fun too okay? All work and no play will make you very grumpy, and then you won't be as cute anymore!"_

Madoka's giggles rang in Homura's ears long after the connection was severed. Her cheeks were aflame from the goddess's parting comment. _She thinks I'm . . . cute?_

Her body felt hot, as if a fire had been lit inside of her.

Michael waited patiently for Homura to regain her composure. "Shall we get you officially enrolled then?"

Homura straightened herself out and donned her cold mask once more. "Yes. Let's get this over with." She began walking at a brisk pace. "Tell me everything I need to know about this town."

"Well, for starters, Kuoh Town is a territory controlled by Devils . . ."

xxx

"Alright class, settle down. We have a new transfer student coming in, and I want you all to give her a warm welcome!"

 _Transfer student huh? I never thought I would have to go through this farce again._

The teacher called her in, and she strolled in, calm and poised. Immediately, the students broke out in whispers as gossip and speculation began flying around.

"Her hair is so long and silky looking!"

"Wow, she looks so cool!"

"I wonder what hobbies she has?"

The teacher eventually managed to calm the class down. She turned back to Homura. "Why don't you introduce yourself now?" the teacher asked her in a gentle voice. Clearly, she expected the new student to be nervous about transferring to a new school.

But Homura had long since suppressed such feelings.

After all, continual practice was the best at building confidence.

"My name is Akemi Homura." Her voice rang out, strong and assertive. She had been in this scenario so many times that she could probably navigate it in her sleep. "I have been in the hospital for a long time due to a heart illness, but I hope to get along with all of you." She bowed slightly. "Please take good care of me."

The teacher applauded her introduction, then said, "Why don't you sit behind Kiba-san over there?"

The teacher pointed out the desk, and Homura nodded in assent as she walked to her designated seat. As she passed several desks, she overheard several of the whispered conversations that were breaking out again.

"Heart disease? That sounds serious, I hope she's okay now . . ."

"How does she get her hair like that? Does she use gel or something? I have to know!"

"You think you have the slightest chance with her? She looks like a total ice queen!"

Homura ignored them all; instead she focused on memorizing the layout of the room and all possible exits in case she was attacked here –

"I'm Kiba Yuuto."

She blinked and realized that the boy in front of her had turned around to greet her.

He held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

She stared at him warily, but eventually shook his hand. "Likewise."

They turned back to the teacher as class began, but their small interaction had already created a surge of new rumors.

"Oh my God, is the Prince of Kuoh going for the new girl already?!"

Homura never thought she could feel so annoyed. _Sayaka almost always drives me up a wall, but the people here . . ._

She glared at the few students sneaking glances at her; they quickly averted their eyes and began pretending to be paying attention.

 _They take "irritating" to a whole new level._

"Don't mind them so much," Yuuto commented idly. He turned back towards her with a reassuring expression. "They're just excited that a new student arrived. In a week, they'll move on to the next hot topic."

As he resumed taking notes, Homura couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. _At least he seems to be polite enough._

She let out a mental sigh. _It would be ironic if normal humans became the death of me._

xxx

When she returned to the church, she found a surprise waiting for her. Standing in front of the door was a young girl in a nun's outfit with a bemused expression.

Homura called out to her, "Do you have business here, miss?"

The girl jumped in surprise, and as she turned around, her long blonde hair swirled in the wind behind her. "O – o – h, pardon me. I was told to meet someone here."

Homura was briefly startled. _Meet someone here of all places? An abandoned church isn't exactly a common spot for rendezvouses._

"Would you like to come inside while you wait? I can prepare some tea for us."

The nun attempted to politely refuse. "I - I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble . . ."

"I insist. It's chilly today; you'll catch a cold if you stand out here for too long."

Although hesitant, she reluctantly yielded. "Well . . . alright." Suddenly, she perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself." She gave Homura a radiant smile as she introduced herself, "I'm Asia Argento! It's nice to meet you."

"Homura Akemi. I am the one currently in charge of this church. Please, come in."

As they walked in, Homura noticed Asia looking curiously at some of the new additions to the church. More specifically, at the various murals that depicted scenes that were not found in any contemporary Bible. The images varied extensively, from a picture of a group of young girls talking and laughing around a round table, to another similar group combatting grotesque creatures that seemed to defy all human expectations.

Asia couldn't help but shiver as she saw some of the disturbing imagery.

"Please wait here while I go prepare the snacks."

"Ah-h, okay . . ."

As she watched her host enter the kitchen, she noticed another peculiar feature. The shelves were filled with all different kinds of cakes and a vast assortment of tea. _I didn't know there were churches that stocked so many snacks!_

"Here is your cup, Argento-san." Homura returned with two cups of aromatic tea and a few slices of delicious-looking cake.

Asia's mouth watered at the sight. She hasn't had a good meal in several days. "T – th – thank you very much!"

They gave thanks, before finally digging in.

Once Asia began to look relaxed, Homura asked the question that had been itching in the back of her mind, "So, what are you doing in Kuoh, Argento-san?"

Asia visibly deflated as she dredged up unpleasant memories. "I . . . got into some trouble back home, but I met some people who said I should come here for help . . . "

Homura's suspicion that something was afoul only grows stronger. _She seems like a innocent girl. It would only be too easy for someone to take advantage of her._

"Exactly who told you to come here?"

Asia could only shake her head at the question as she replied, "She never told me her name, but she was a tall woman with really long black hair. She said that she also had a few friends here who could also help take care of me."

 _Tall with black hair? And with friends here . . . could it have been those four I chased out days ago?_

She distinctly recalled Raynare mentioning that "she" would be arriving soon. Had the Fallen Angel been referring to Asia? _It seems highly likely. They were the only residents of this church before I got here._

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"I was hoping that . . . the woman who told me to come here would be able to help with that."

Homura inwardly frowned. _That's unfortunate. Even if those Fallen were likely planning to exploit Asia, I have still taken away her only hope left._ _Unless . . ._

"How would you like to stay here with me? We underwent renovation recently, so there is plenty of space."

Asia's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, no I couldn't possibly impose on you like that." Her eyes became downcast, and her voice trailed off as she whispered, "If they found out you were letting me stay here, you would get in trouble because of me."

However, Homura's acute hearing was able to pick up Asia's quiet words. "What do you mean by that? Who are you referring to, and why would I get in trouble if I sheltered you?"

Asia was startled; clearly, she had not expected the other girl to be able to overhear her. "Uhhh . . . you see . . ." She stopped speaking, obviously reluctant to share her story.

Homura adopted a comforting expression; a normally difficult task for the stoic girl, but for some reason she felt it come naturally to her this time. "It's okay, you can trust me."

They stared into each other's eyes, one side trying to convey her sincerity and the other struggling to decide what to do.

Eventually, one of them relented.

"I was . . . excommunicated from the church." Asia's voice was barely a whisper, clearly ashamed of the fact she had just admitted.

But Homura heard it all too well. "Excommunicated? Someone like you?"

Looking at the girl, Homura could tell that she wouldn't be able to hurt a fly. What could she have possibly done to deserve such a harsh punishment?

"I did . . . something that I shouldn't have. They called me a witch and threw me out." Asia's voice began to tremble, her emotional pain returning to the forefront of her mind. "I was only trying to help! Why did it end like this?!" She began wailing and crying.

Homura was startled by the sudden breakdown. She didn't know what to do; she had little experience consoling and comforting others.

Her body was frozen, but a little voice began to whisper in her mind. A soft, melodic voice that told her how to comfort the crying girl.

She reached forward and captured Asia in a tight embrace.

She whispered soothing words in the other girl's ear.

She waited patiently for the trembling and sniffling to end.

"Feeling better?"

Asia nodded and wiped her eyes. "I – I'm sorry that you had to see that. How disgraceful of me, crying all over a stranger—"

Homura cut her off. "There is nothing wrong with seeking comfort in a time of hardship." She focused her gaze on the nun. "My offer still stands, you know."

Asia shook her head. "I can't possibly trouble you by staying here."

Homura grabbed her by the shoulders and spoke firmly. "The Goddess would never turn away someone in need, and so I won't either." She took Asia by the arm and began leading her to one of the empty bedrooms.

Asia hesitantly allowed herself to be pulled along. Then, she blinked and expressed confusion at a word that stuck out at her. "Goddess?"

Homura turned back towards her. "Didn't you know?"

She gave a small, genuine smile.

"God is a girl."

Asia was dumbfounded by that statement for a long time.

xxx

A few days passed without incident. Homura had helped Asia settle in and began teaching her how to perform various household chores.

However, the nun's aptitude for such tasks could only be described as . . . mediocre at best. Dropped plates, burnt food, and spilled tea were all testament to the blond girl's sheltered upbringing.

Clearly, the church did not prioritize teaching its orphans the knowledge necessary for taking care of themselves.

Still, Homura hoped that she could train the girl to be able to perform most basic tasks flawlessly within a month. Managing a church by herself was stressful at times, and another pair of hands to help around is always useful.

But for now, she could only make the necessary precautions to ensure that the building did not somehow burn down while she was away and bid Asia farewell as she left for school.

"Farewell, Argento-san. Please don't make a mess while I am out."

"Don't worry, Akemi-san! I will do my best to remember what you taught me!"

Homura walked to school, and the day passed uneventfully. Soon, classes were over, and she prepared to leave.

However, as she exited the classroom, she bumped into someone unexpectedly. She stumbled back, and the other person to fell to the floor. "Ah, pardon me. Are you alright?"

" . . ."

Homura glanced curiously at the other person, who didn't respond.

 _I recognize her; she's Koneko Toujou. Nicknamed the Mascot of Kuoh for her cute and petite appearance. But . . ._

Koneko was still frozen on the floor, her body slightly trembling for an unknown reason.

 _Why isn't she reacting?_

"Hey, are you okay?" Homura questioned as she lowered herself to the other girl's level. "Here, let me help you up."

As soon as she reached out a hand, however, Koneko's face turned ashen. Suddenly, she leaped up and dashed away without a word.

Homura was frozen in shock. _Did I do something wrong?_

She stood up and dusted herself off. Nearby students who had witnessed the encounter were already gossiping and creating crazy rumors about the incident. She scowled at them, and they quickly scurried away. _Great. Now I'm going to be hearing about this for a week._

She turned on her heel and walked out. _Not like I care about what they think anyway._

Meanwhile, in the Occult Research Club's clubroom . . .

"Buchou! Buchou! I – I - !"

Rias Gremory turned around with a concerned look as she heard her Rook's panicked voice. "Koneko-chan? What's the matter?"

She took in the petite girl's abnormally pale complexion and immediately grew worried. "Oh my. Akeno! Brew some tea to help calm her down, please?"

Her queen nodded and rushed off to fulfill the request.

She gently took Koneko by the hand and led her to the couch. The president tenderly petted her subordinate's head until the latter finally stopped trembling.

"Now, can you tell me what happened?" she asked gently.

Her voice is soft, but has a hard edge to it. Something happened that badly shook someone under her care. As a member of the Gremory family, she took her Peerage's wellbeing extremely seriously.

She would ensure that whatever had frightened her Rook would never be able to do so again.

Koneko's voice trembled with each syllable. "I – I sme – smelled . . ."

Rias softly encouraged her. "Go on, tell me what happened."

The emotional barrier broke, and Koneko's report rushed out. "I smelled . . . death!"

 _Flames hungered and consumed flesh without regard for its victims crying out._

 _Ashes were all that remained of its hapless victims._

 _The acrid smoke lingered in the air, days after the event had transpired._

Rias stilled as she felt a cold sweat break out.

After all, if Koneko claimed that something smelled like "death", then it must have been highly lethal to Devils. Confronting the source of something like that would be extremely dangerous.

Even so, she could not let this incident pass. This town was her territory, and she had a duty to keep it safe. Her eyes narrowed as she steeled her resolve.

"Tell me more."

xxx

Homura was having another uneventful day when she suddenly received an invitation.

"Akemi-san? Buchou would like to see you."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Yuuto, who had delivered the message out of the blue. This time, the boy did not display a friendly demeanor. Instead, he seemed reserved and wary around her.

 _The president of his club . . . is Rias Gremory._

Homura frowned deeply. _The most popular student at this school._

Her mind was in turmoil as she tried to figure out the reason behind the idol's sudden interest in her. _What could she possibly want with me? Perhaps . . ._

She recalled a detail that Michael had mentioned to her before enrolling. _This school is controlled by Devils. With a name like the "Occult Research Club," I wouldn't be surprised if that is where the supernatural congregate in this school. Maybe they suspect me of being an agent from another faction._

Of course, she _was_ an agent of Heaven, so their suspicions were not entirely unwarranted. _I suppose I must go and face the music._

She stood up, unperturbed by the whispers that had broken out yet again in the classroom. "Very well. I shall go with you."

They walked silently through the hallways with Yuuto leading the way. Soon, they exited outside and began heading towards the old schoolhouse. _Their club is stationed all the way out here? I suppose it's reasonable for the supernatural to isolate themselves from the ordinary students where possible._

"We're here." Yuuto's voice interrupted Homura's train of thought. He opened the door, which slid open without a sound. "Buchou? I've brought her, as you asked."

"Thank you, Yuuto-kun," a sweet voice answered from the shadows.

He bowed towards the direction of the voice, then stood off to the side.

"Akemi-san, was it? I don't believe we've met."

The speaker stepped into the dim lighting. The feeble light illuminated her gorgeous red hair; under such dark light, they looked like rivers of blood flowing down her body.

Two blue eyes burning with intensity stared at her amid the mass of crimson.

"Let's drop the pretenses, shall we? My name is Rias Gremory." Leathery black wings sprouted from her back as she continued, "And I am a Devil." She gave Homura a sinister smile. "You're no ordinary human, are you? I hear that you live at that church that was abandoned a while back. I do hope that you're not here to cause trouble."

The blue eyes narrowed into slits. "After all, it's my duty to deal with troublemakers here in Kuoh." She raised a hand; black energy began to crackle and whirl amidst her palm. "So, tell me, Akemi-san. What business do you have here?"

Normally, Homura was a very hard person to intimidate. Her lifetimes of hardships and tragedies had numbed her to something as paltry as fear.

But even so, looking at the malicious power throbbing in the hand of the Devil awakened a primitive feeling of dread. Her instincts screamed at her, warning her that being touched by the void growing in the palm of that girl meant _oblivion._

A shiver ran through her body before she could clamp down on it. _No. I must remain calm. Even if she is acting confrontational, sparking a conflict here could be disastrous for Heaven._

She steeled herself, and was about to give her response when suddenly—

"Ara? Why is it so dark in here?" a new voice questioned.

The main lights flickered back on, and the shadows disappeared.

Now bathed in light, Rias Gremory didn't seem nearly as intimidating.

"Eh?" The president, in shock from the sudden interruption of her performance, allowed her power to dissipate. However, she recovered quickly and began yelling at the new arrival. "Akeno-chan! I was in the middle of something!"

"Sorry, sorry, Rias-chan. I came early because I didn't want to miss you scolding that student for frightening dear Koneko-chan so!"

Suddenly, Akeno noticed Homura's presence. "Oh? Is she the one?" The Devil regarded her with a critical gaze. Abruptly, she smirked. "It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but it's nice to meet you! I'm Akeno Himejima."

"Homura Akemi," she responded tersely.

Rias attempted to get the conversation back on track. "Now, as I was saying, what business do you have in Kuoh?"

Homura tilted her head at the president. "Didn't you already know that I live at the church? I'm also managing it too."

Rias furrowed her brows. "If that's the case, why are you here at this school?"

The magical girl shrugged in reply. "A . . . higher-up . . . informed me that it was a necessary measure for me to maintain my cover to ordinary citizens."

The president nodded slowly. "Yes, it would likely cause problems if someone as young as you were not enrolled in a school." She slammed her hands on the table. "Even so, I cannot have an agent of Heaven freely traipsing around on my turf!"

Homura coolly responded, "I assure you that Heaven has no wish for further violence."

Rias narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Oh? And by what authority do you have to speak for all of Heaven?"

"I have a very . . . personal connection with the one in charge."

The red-haired girl raised an eyebrow as she exclaimed, "You claim to be overly familiar with God himself?!"

Homura smiled back mysteriously. "Something like that."

Rias frowned at that audacious claim. "Be that as it may, I have reason to believe that you are . . . potentially dangerous to the people living here."

Now it was Homura's turn to raise an eyebrow. "And what led you to believe that?"

"My Rook told me . . . that you smell like death."

Homura's eyes darted toward her left arm. _So that's what caused this mess? How troublesome._

Rias continued with her explanation, "If you ever became hostile, the damage you could cause would likely be quite . . . devastating." Her gaze hardened. "Killing you now would cause unnecessary trouble with Heaven, but know that if you ever hurt those I care about . . ." Her hand tightened into a fist. "I will find you. And I will end you."

Homura recalled the frightening power the girl had displayed earlier. She had no doubt that if she got careless, the other girl could easily carry out her threat.

But Homura had several tricks of her own. "I doubt that such events would come to pass . . ." She stood up, and the temperature in the room drastically increased, making the Devils feel like one wrong move would cause them to burn. "But in any case, you will find that I am far from helpless."

As she turned on her heel and walked out, she allowed her power to dissipate.

A few moments later, she realized what she had done.

 _Did I just unnecessarily antagonize the group that Madoka wanted to foster good relationships with?_

Not for the first time, Homura realized that she was a _terrible_ diplomat.


	3. And lay them at your feet

At the end of school next day, Homura received yet another sudden invitation; only this time, it was the Student Council that requested her presence.

 _Another one? If this is anything like yesterday, then the organization I'm about to meet with is also filled with devils._

She distinctly recalled hearing a group of students mentioning that the head of the Student Council, Souna Shitori, was good friends with Rias Gremory. _If that's the case, then it is almost a certainty that she is a devil as well._

Walking into the clubroom behind a student named Tsubaki Shinra, who had led her here, she noted that the area seemed to be highly organized and tidy. The other students in the room were all working diligently while a young, bespectacled woman with black hair directed them.

"Kaichou? I've brought her."

"Thank you very much, Tsubaki-san. I'll take it from here."

Tsubaki nodded before heading to one of the unoccupied desks to begin working.

The president of the club regarded Homura with a critical gaze, before bowing slightly and introducing herself. "Akemi-san, was it? I heard about what happened yesterday, so I'll drop the pretenses." She straightened up and adjusted her glasses. "My real name is Sona Sitri, and I too am a devil, as is everyone else on the Student Council." She clasped her hands behind her as she adopted an apologetic tone. "I would like to apologize on Ria's behalf for how she confronted you the other day. She was rather . . . distraught . . . over the effect you had on one of her Peerage members. Her family is renowned for the care and affection they show their servants, and she is no exception. This led to her confronting you in a rather brash manner, which no doubt did not leave a very good impression of the devils here. Your rather . . . drastic exit was understandable, given the circumstances."

Homura nodded at the other girl's assessment of the situation. "I understand. She was defending something she held dear from what she perceived as a threat, and I can respect that."

Sona visibly relaxed at Homura's words. "I am glad to see that you are being considerate. Rias told me that you claimed that Heaven has no intention of further conflict, and I would like to say that the majority of the Devil faction feels the same way."

Homura raised an eyebrow at the particular choice of words. "A majority, you say?"

Sona grimaced and coughed a little. "There are a few . . . dissenters . . . who foolishly follow the original Satans' ideals of world domination, known as the Old Satan Faction. I assure you that the current government of devils has nothing to do with such a barbaric group."

Homura replied, "I see . . . well, I am glad to hear that your race is governed by reasonable people."

Sona nodded in response. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and her voice grew sterner. "However, while the manner in which Rias confronted you was improper, her reason for doing so was not." Her eyes seemed to bore into Homura as she spoke. "As a member of a faction operating in another one's territory, you should have first sought permission from those managing the land first."

"Ah . . . my apologies. While I knew beforehand that this was devil territory, I did not know the proper protocols for introducing myself. I did not mean to cause any trouble."

Sona's face relaxed once she was certain her point had been made. "If you are here merely to manage the church nearby, then I see no reason to prevent you from doing so, as long as you do not create any more incidents." Suddenly, she gained a glint in her eyes as she glanced at a chessboard sitting on a nearby table. "Say, do you play chess, by any chance?"

Homura was briefly startled by the sudden change in topic. "I know the rules, but I can't say that I have played very often."

"That's fine. How about a match?"

She frowned but couldn't find a good reason to refuse. "Very well then."

Several of the other students immediately got up and began rearranging tables to better accommodate the match. The pieces and board were quickly set up, and within moments Homura found herself facing Sona across a chessboard. "That was certainly a fast transition."

Sona smirked as she replied, "Chess is a favored pastime of mine, so I suppose you can say that they have a lot of practice setting up."

The game began, but it quickly became apparent that Sona was a veteran of the game who could outmaneuver Homura at every step. Soon, Homura's king was exposed to attack, and once that happened, she was quickly checkmated.

Sona leaned back in her chair as she delivered her analysis of the game. "For a beginner-level player, that was not bad. You tend to focus too much on a select few of your pieces while neglecting the rest, which allowed me to amass easy captures."

Homura nodded silently as she digested the results. Eventually, she asked the question that had been lurking in the corner of her mind. "Do you ask everyone that comes here to play a chess match with you?"

Sona raised an eyebrow, then gave a small laugh. "I've been found out, I see. I admit that our friendly match just now was more than just me wanting another opponent to play against." She steepled her hands as she continued. "My sister is in charge of Foreign Affairs for the devil government, and although she can be insufferable at times, she works very hard to achieve the peace that we all wish for. I would like to ease her burden where I can, and if that involves building friendly relations by socializing and cooperating with an agent from another faction, then I am perfectly willing to do my small part for the sake of the grand scheme of things."

"I see . . . your commitment to your goals is admirable."

"Thank you. Ah, I shouldn't keep you any longer, should I?"

They bade each other farewell, and as Homura walked away, she reflected that the peace that Madoka wished for might not be so impossible after all.

xxx

Several days passed, but one day, upon returning to the church, Homura found yet another person standing in front of the doors. This time, it was an ordinary looking middle-aged woman with chestnut-colored hair and her arms wrapped around herself, as if to protect herself from an unseen foe. She was trembling, clearly shaken by some recent event.

"Miss? Are you alright?" Homura asked with a concerned expression.

The woman turned around, revealing her haggard expression and red-rimmed eyes. "Oh, pardon me, but do you know if this church is open? I used to go here quite often as a child before it was abandoned, and right now I would really like . . . to pray again."

"Yes, this church reopened recently. In fact, I am one of the ones helping to maintain it," Homura replied.

"Ah, that's good . . . very good . . ." Despite the positive nature of her words, the woman's face was downcast, and her tone only held sorrow.

Homura frowned as she looked at the stricken expression on the other woman's face. She was familiar enough with despair to know all the signs of a spiral into depression. "Why don't you come in? I can prepare some refreshments for you."

The woman docilely followed Homura into the church. As they entered, a cheery voice spoke from the kitchen. "Welcome back, Akemi-san! I baked some biscuits for your return!"

Asia came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of baked goods that were (for once) not burnt. Upon seeing the new arrival, she slowed and asked curiously, "Oh? Who's that?"

Homura replied, "She came here to pray." She glanced over and noticed that the woman in question had shuffled past both of them and was now hunched over in prayer. Quiet, inaudible words emanated from her position.

Asia looked worried by the haunted expression she had seen on the woman's face, but Homura signaled her to be patient and give the woman some space. They sat down at a nearby table while they waited, silence filling the air between them. While Asia poured tea (without spilling this time) Homura bit into one of the biscuits, and found to her pleasant surprise that it was at an acceptable level of quality. _It's still nothing compared to Mami's cooking, but it's good enough for serving guests and other people that might come here._

Suddenly, the woman stood up and began slowly walking to the exit, clearly done with her prayer. She looked no better after her brief session; her eyes were hollow, and her steps were slow and heavy as if she were walking to the gallows.

Normally, Homura would not have concerned herself with the business of strangers. Lifetimes spent focused solely on saving Madoka had desensitized her to the issues of others. But at that moment, she felt a little voice in her head telling her that it was a bad idea to let the woman go, that doing so would be the same as letting her walk to her death.

She couldn't say "no" to that voice. Not anymore.

"Would you like to talk about it, miss?"

The woman was briefly startled by the sudden offer. "No . . . no, I . . . wouldn't want to trouble you any longer than I have."

"I assure you that you would not be imposing. Won't you at least sit with us for tea and snacks? I do not believe that we can finish this by ourselves, and it would be a shame to let the food go to waste."

The woman seemed hesitant, but eventually, her posture relaxed, and she agreed to the offer. She sat down and bit into a biscuit while Asia poured her a cup of tea.

As the woman chewed, Asia fidgeted nervously. Eventually, she mustered up the courage to ask, "S – so, is it any good?"

The woman replied emotionlessly, "It's fine."

Asia seemed pleased by the response, even though it wasn't overly positive.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, the number of pastries began to dwindle until there were none left. Once the woman seemed like she had loosened up a bit more, Homura decided to bring up her question again. "Now, do you feel more comfortable talking about it?"

The woman peered at her curiously, then said, "Aren't you a little young to be acting as a counselor?"

Homura replied, "Anyone is capable of lending an ear to someone that needs to be heard. I'm simply in the right place at the right time."

The woman nodded thoughtfully; eventually, her shoulders sagged as she began her story. "Today . . . was the happiest . . . and the saddest . . . day of my life. It was my newborn son's first birthday, and he had even begun walking by himself too. We were all so happy . . . until I suddenly collapsed. I was rushed to the hospital, and when I woke up, the doctor told me . . . that I had lung cancer, and . . . that I only had . . . a few years left to live . . ." She began sobbing, her emotions running wild. "Everything was going well! A steady job, a loving family, but now . . . now I won't get to see my child grow up! How unfair is that? Just when everything is right in the world, fate decides to play a cruel trick! Even now, I can feel it eating away at me . . ." Her voice petered out as began bawling, cries of anguish echoing in the vast space within the church.

Homura inwardly sighed. Although tragic, the woman's tale felt all too similar to that of many magical girls. _The greatest despair comes after the brightest hope. After all, . . ._

 _Hope and despair always balance out to zero._

 _Isn't that right, Incubator?_

Homura could only look on sadly as the woman fell to pieces. There was nothing she could do; her healing abilities were limited to the innate regeneration that all magical girls were capable of. _Maybe this was a waste after all. I probably only made things worse by making her relive those memories._

"U – um, miss, . . ." Asia stammered, her voice thick with emotion. "I . . . I feel really . . . really sorry . . . for your family . . . and I want . . . to help you . . ."

The woman stopped crying and glanced at Asia with her tear-stricken face. She looked weary, clearly burnt out after letting out her grievances against the world. "What could you possibly do . . . that professional doctors can't. . .?"

Asia approached her. What she was about to do was something that had never worked before, but for some reason, she felt confident that it would work this time. She placed her hand on the woman's shoulder and concentrated.

Green light filled the room as a miracle was realized.

The woman was slack-jawed at the sight; slowly, her expression became more and more peaceful as the soothing light did its work.

Homura was also stunned; she had never expected the nun she had helped to have such a potent ability. _If this is what she is capable of, then now I understand why the fallen wanted her._

Through the green light, she could see something unusual; a gloved hand was overlaid on Asia's. Her eyes trailed up, revealing a thin, slender arm, then the sleeve of a white dress. She finally reached the face, where she saw –

 _Golden eyes, white ribbons, and pink hair –_

The apparition flashed her a brief smile and waved before vanishing, leaving Homura briefly frozen in shock.

Once the light died down, Asia pulled back her arm with a mildly bewildered expression, but she seemed content with the deed she had just accomplished.

The woman blinked rapidly as she reopened her eyes. Her expression grew shocked as she patted herself down, disbelieving. "I – I – I feel . . . normal? It . . . it doesn't hurt anymore. . .?" She looked over at Asia with awe. "That . . . that was . . . a miracle . . ."

"The Goddess heard your plea and saw fit to grant your wish," Homura said.

The woman looked at her, confused. "G – Goddess? But I thought . . ."

"God was a doting father that guided his followers justly; the Goddess is a caring mother that loves her children unconditionally."

The woman looked around and finally noticed the strange murals that would not be found in an ordinary church. She was briefly lost in thought, before finally deciding on a course of action. There was only one thing she could do, really. After all, . . .

It's not every day that one's wish comes true.

She kneeled before the altar and offered up her thanks. "Thank you, Goddess, for your blessing on this unfortunate soul . . ."

After the woman finally left, Homura addressed the elephant in the room. "That was an impressive ability you displayed back there, Asia."

Asia looked abashed at the compliment. "I – It's my Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing. It lets me heal anyone, but usually, it only works on physical injuries . . . so I'm not too sure why it cured that woman . . ." She looked back up with a fire in her eyes. "But I'm glad it did! Al – although, I'm sorry that I kept it from you, Akemi-san."

Homura smiled as she replied, "It's fine. I have a Sacred Gear too, so I understand."

Asia looked baffled at the statement. "Wh – what, really?! What is it?" she asked.

However, Homura had already turned around and began heading back to her room. _This afternoon has really been . . . taxing._

She thinks back to that glimpse she had seen of the goddess. _It really is ironic, that the one known as the Law of Cycles . . ._

 _Was the one who broke the vicious cycle of hope and despair._

xxx

One day, Homura saw in the newspaper that several people had gone missing. The journalist noted that several disembodied body parts had been found as well and that detectives were working to find out if they belonged to any of those missing. _Body parts? That doesn't sound like anything an ordinary human would do, and I doubt the devils at Kuoh would do anything like that._

She recalled Michael's lecture on devils and the category known as "Stray Devils." They were devils that had gone rogue, forsaking their masters and causing chaos while their powers ran rampant. _Could the cause be something like that?_

Either way, the matter seemed serious enough for her to investigate. At night, she quietly slipped out of the church so that she did not disturb Asia. She quickly transformed and teleported to the rooftops to gain a better vantage point. She glanced down at her Soul Gem; the vibrant violet glow had grown murky. She focused on the Sacred Gear in her soul, and furnace churned to life, purple fire coursing through her gem, burning the darkness away, leaving her with a soothing sensation. _That should last me for a while._

She held out her Soul Gem in front of her and took note of the closest source of magical energy. _This might lead me to the wrong target since magic is much more abundant in this world, but this is my best lead at the moment, so I'll just have to stick with it._

She made a long chain of jumps while minimizing the size of her wings to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. _The source should be somewhere around . . . here!_

Luck was with Homura, as she spied a grotesque figure munching on the corpse of a human. The monster had a warped body with arms that ended in sharp needles, bulging muscles with sickly-colored veins, and a deformed face that was heavily scarred. _What a disgusting creature. I suppose I'll do both of us a favor and end it quickly._

Her black bow quickly responded to her call, and as she drew an arrow back, she infused the tip of it with holy fire. _This should be enough._

The arrow flew without a sound. It pierced the creature's head, killing it instantly. The Stray Devil staggered, mouth open in a silent scream before it collapsed next to the body of its victim. The flames quickly spread throughout its body, consuming it in a raging inferno that quickly died out.

Homura flipped her hair as she dismissed her bow. _I suppose I'll have to ask one of the devils in charge to clean this up for me._

As she turned around and prepared to leave, she noticed that her Soul Gem was picking up a large source of magical energy nearby. _Another one? It must be strong if it is giving off this kind of a signature. I should go deal with it as well._

She spread her wings and quickly made her way to the area indicated by the gem. However, on arriving, she found an unexpected site.

Rias Gremory and her peerage surrounded a monstrous creature with the upper body of a woman and a lower body that seemed similar to that of a centaur. The most unusual feature was a cavity on her stomach that seemed to hold gnashing teeth.

She watched as Yuuto dashed in and out while he attacked, aiming for the creature's arms to hinder its ability to fight back. Koneko circled around, capitalizing on Yuuto's distractions to land a good hit whenever she could. Akeno stayed further back, charging up lighting in her hands and releasing it when she had a good shot lined up. Rias stood on the sidelines, seemingly instructing the brown-haired boy that stood next to her.

Eventually, the group managed to wear down and incapacitate the Stray Devil, allowing Rias to walk up to it and disintegrate the creature with her power.

Now that the skirmish was over, Homura decided to make her presence known. She leaped down and landed gracefully, among the surprised gazes of those in the Occult Research Club.

Rias looked startled as well, but quickly composed herself. "Akemi-san? I did not expect you to be out so late."

"I sensed some trouble nearby, so I took care of it," Homura replied. "Unfortunately, it left quite the mess behind . . ."

"I see . . . I'll take care of it then." Rias looked troubled as she gazed at Homura thoughtfully, but eventually seemed to come to decision. "Do you have a spare moment? I would like to have a private conversation."

Homura, seeing no reason to refuse, nodded. They left the rest of the Occult Research Club behind and ducked into a nearby alley.

"So, what is it you wished to discuss?" Homura asked.

Rias seemed hesitant, but eventually, she voiced her thoughts. "First of all, I would like to apologize for my brash confrontation with you the other day. I overreacted and provoked you over a mere misunderstanding."

"It's fine. Sona already explained everything to me."

Rias looked relieved. "Did she now? I guess I owe her one then." She shuffled her feet nervously, clearly uneasy about the next topic. "It might be presumptuous of me to ask this after apologizing . . . but I need your help with something."

Homura raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What could one affiliated with the church do to help in a devil's affairs?"

Rias's eyes narrowed and her voice gained a bitter edge. "My family . . . wishes for me to partake in an arranged marriage. My fiancé, to put it lightly, is insufferable. He only wants me for my family name; he doesn't see me as an individual. I'll just be another stepping stone on his path to fame. I have no desire to marry someone like that, so our families proposed that our disagreement be settled by a Rating Game." She glanced at Homura. "Do you know what that is?"

"I know the basics."

"That's good. In any case, while it is a chance for me to break away from this ill-conceived match, the odds are . . . not in my favor." She grimaced as she continued. "Riser, my fiancé, has a full peerage, whereas I still have several Evil Pieces left over. Additionally, he is a member of the Phenex clan, who are renowned for their powerful regenerative abilities. To top it off, my newest recruit was not as . . . promising as I had hoped."

Homura recalled the new face she had not seen before. "You mean that brown-haired boy?"

Rias nodded. "Yes; while he has a powerful Sacred Gear, one of the Longinus in fact, it's not particularly impressive when combined with his weak attributes." She smiled fondly. "He's eager to please, and I hope to make something great out of him one day . . ." Her face fell. "But _someday_ is not soon enough. We have a week to train and prepare, but I fear that it will not be enough to compensate for our significant numerical disadvantage."

"And how exactly am I supposed to help with this? Only devils can participate in Rating Games, as I recall."

Rias looked at Homura hopefully. "Well, if you joined my peerage –"

Homura cut her off. "Sorry, not happening."

Rias smiled ruefully. "It was worth a shot." She seemed despondent as she turned and began walking away, her footsteps slow and heavy. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

As Homura looked at the girl walking away from her with such a forlorn expression, she felt a twinge of guilt in her consciences. It evoked something that Madoka had said in a previous timeline.

 _Magical girls are those who spread hope! Wouldn't you agree, Homura-chan?_

She let out a sigh before calling out. "Wait."

Rias turned back around with a perplexed expression. "Hmm? Was there something else?"

Homura can see a glimmer of hope in the other girl's eyes. "While I cannot directly aid you, I may be able to assist in a more much . . . subtle manner. Tell me, are items allowed for Rating Games?"

Rias furrowed her brows as she attempted to recall the rules. "I do not recall any regulations restricting what items may be used."

"In that case, I will prepare an item that will give you the firepower necessary to bypass Riser's regeneration."

Rias's eyes widen in happiness. "Re – really? Thank you so much! How can I repay you for this?"

"You need not concern yourself with payment for this matter."

Homura left before Rias could make any more offers of repayment. After all, she had a long night ahead of her. _It's been a long time since I've made a bomb; hopefully, I'm not too rusty._

When she got back to the church, she quickly headed downstairs to set up a makeshift workshop. She found an old stash of holy water as well as some other parts that she would need for her project. Her body seemed to move automatically; years of making munitions to fight witches had ingrained the skill into her body to the point that the process went smoothly, even after a long period of disuse and the rather . . . unorthodox application.

By the time she was finished, the sun was already beginning to rise. The fruit of her labors was settled on the table in front of her, a strange-looking contraption that looked like a bomb, but was smaller than most. _When it detonates, it will douse the area with holy water. I also infused it with some holy fire to give it a bit of a boost. Hopefully, this will be enough._

Homura blearily looked at the rising dawn and decided that school could wait. _I'll go to sleep and wake up around the time school ends to give the bomb to Rias._

She climbed the stairs to her room, exhausted after the long night, collapsed on her bed, and immediately fell asleep. However, her dreams did not see fit to give her a peaceful rest; instead, they dredged up old memories.

xxx

 _In the new world created by the one she loved, she lost her ability to manipulate time._

 _No longer could she travel back in time; no longer could she dwell on the past and all the possibilities she could have taken. Instead, she gained the ability to manifest a beautiful pair of wings._

 _The first time she saw them, she thought they were stunningly beautiful. Pure white feathers, untainted by the darkness of sorrow and regret. Looking at them, she felt the burden and worries of countless prior timelines melt and fade away. With them behind her, she felt like she would be propelled to a bright, new future._

 _Sadly, that was not to be the case._

 _After all, the one she truly wanted to be with . . ._

 _Was no longer within her reach._

 _Despite the promise of a hopeful future, she could never soothe the emptiness in her heart._

xxx

 _She soon discovered that her wings were not merely for decoration._

 _They gave her an ability just as potent as her previous one: the power to manipulate space. It had its limitations of course; she could only affect objects and people that were touching her, and she could only use it while her wings were manifested._

 _But combined with the black bow and arrows she was now able to materialize, it was enough for her to be able to dispose of the wraiths in the new world with ease._

 _Years turned into decades, then into centuries. The people she had known in her past lives all died or were taken by the Law of Cycles. She wandered the world, searching for purpose in her empty life. Numerous times she considered just giving up and allowing herself to despair._

 _But deep in her heart, she knew that Madoka would be disappointed if that was how they were reunited._

 _Besides, she had too much experience clinging to hope to give in now. And so, she continued to move from place to place, killing wraiths and occasionally helping those in need._

 _But one day, something unexpected occurred . . ._

 _Time and space are often likened to fabric._

 _And every fabric eventually wears and tears._

 _Homura's continuous use of her powers eventually ripped open a hole in reality._

 _She found out the hard way after falling in._

xxx

 _The first thing she noticed about the realm was the sheer emptiness of it. Aside from a few stone statues floating here and there, the void stretched out as far as the eye could see._

 _Well, except for the giant, red dragon doing cartwheels in the middle of the dimension. "Oh? A new arrival? Haven't had one of those in a while."_

 _The dragon flew up in front of her, and she could only blankly stare at the impossible creature. She should be afraid of such a monstrosity, but her centuries of life had desensitized her to something as mundane as fear of death._

" _Oi. Stop staring at me. It's irritating."_

 _She blinked at the dragon's rude tone, and eventually found her voice. "My apologies. I didn't mean to intrude on your territory. I would leave, but I'm not entirely sure how I got here in the first place."_

 _The serpentine creature circled her and inspected her curiously. "Hmm, you haven't died from the sheer nothingness in here yet. And you don't show even an ounce of fear. You're no ordinary human, that's for sure." He stopped in front of her and closed in until his snout almost touched her face. "You don't look your age, do you? You remind me of another being who doesn't look her age. You two even look alike; emotionless faces, long black hair, and smooth silky skin."_

 _The dragon grimaced and glanced off to the side. "Now if only she would stop pestering me and trying to chase me out of here."_

 _Homura blinked, more confused than anything by the brief tangent. "What are you talking about? Who are you anyway, and what is this place?" she asked._

 _The dragon's head snapped back towards her. "Huh? Oh, don't worry about that. As for me . . ." He backed up and struck a majestic poise as he said, "I am the Apocalypse Dragon, the True Red Dragon God Emperor, the Dragon of Dragons!" His head lowered until it was on level with hers. "But you can just call me Great Red. As for where you are, you're in the Dimensional Gap, the boundary between worlds!"_

 _Homura nodded slowly. "Well then, Great Red-sama, how do I get out of here?"_

" _I can show you the way out, but first . . ." The dragon peered inquisitively at her as he said, "You intrigue me, so I'm going to make you an offer. What if I told you I could make your dream come true?"_

 _Homura was astonished by such an outrageous claim. "What? You don't even know what my dream is; how can you possibly claim that with such confidence?"_

 _Great Red grinned at her, showing a toothy mouth full of sharp canines that could tear through flesh with ease. "When I was introducing myself, I omitted one of my titles because it didn't sound as cool as the others." He backed away and struck a poise again. "I am also known as the Dragon of Dreams!" He floated back down towards her. "Dreams are my domain, so I can tell you that I already know what you desire and that I can make it happen. So, what do you say?"_

 _Homura could only stare dumbfoundedly at him as she asked, "You're saying . . . that you can make my wish come true?"_

 _The sentiment brought back unpleasant feelings associated with the Incubator and the devil's pact it offered to naïve young girls._

 _She couldn't accept the offer until she knew more. "What are you getting in return? I doubt that you would just do this for free."_

 _The dragon chuckled, a sound that was more akin to the rumbling of the earth. "A careful one, aren't you? Truth be told, I'm quite bored. There isn't exactly much here to do, and rarely anyone except that nagging Dragon God ever comes to visit, so I'm just doing this purely for entertainment's sake." He tilted his head at her. "But since you insist, you can just owe me a favor down the line. I won't be too unreasonable about it either. So, now that it doesn't feel so much like charity, what do you say?"_

 _Despite his assurances, Homura was still indecisive. She has had many bad experiences with making deals, and her natural aversion was hard to shake._

 _But still, if this offer was genuine, if her greatest desire could truly come to fruition—_

" _I accept."_

 _Her voice did not waver or hesitate._

 _After all, she had already made one deal with the devil for the sake of her goals._

 _What was one more?_

 _The dragon smiled at her. "Good, good. Now that's what I wanted to hear!" He began to twist and turn in his excitement. "Now, you're probably wondering how I'm going to make this happen. You want to be with that girl-turned-goddess, right? But you can't since in your world, she's on another plane of existence, and you aren't willing to kill yourself to get there. That about sum it up?"_

 _Despite knowing about his claim before, Homura can't help but feel shocked at the sheer accuracy of his diagnosis. ". . . Yes, that's correct."_

" _Now, what if I told you there was a world where Gods and humans could walk side-by-side? A world where deities and magical creatures are much more commonplace, where the lines between the mundane and the supernatural are blurred." Great Red leaned in closer. "In that world, even a human could touch a god. And you're much more than a human, aren't you?"_

 _Homura's interest was piqued, but she was still skeptical. "And how would you plan to get her there? She won't just abandon her duties in the other world."_

" _She's a little goody-two-shoes, right? There's a position that just opened that would be perfect for her; I'll make sure she knows about it. As a goddess, she can probably split herself into fragments; she can just leave some of her consciousness behind to manage everything in the original world. After that, everything should handle itself."_

 _Homura nodded slowly. "Yes, that could work. Appealing to her nature as a kindhearted person would most definitely do the trick."_

" _I'm such a genius, aren't I? Anyway, this other world has a lot of frightfully powerful beings. You're strong, but even you would just be a fly to be swatted by one of those behemoths. It would be unfortunate if you tangled with one of them and got yourself killed before anything interesting happened, so I'm going to give you a little help."_

 _A purple flame appeared, dancing in front of her. It wavered around as it circled her, as if it were judging her. Suddenly, it stopped and dashed straight into Homura's body. She felt a burning sensation spread throughout her, centered on the hand where her Soul Gem resided._

" _Huh, it took to you much better than I expected. It's a Sacred Gear known as Incinerate Anthem. With it, you can manipulate holy fire. Pretty neat huh? It'll fit into your new position quite nicely. It's also one of the thirteen Longinus, so if you get really good with it, you could even kill gods with it. Great for defending your goddess if she ever draws the ire of some other deities."_

 _She gazed at her Soul Gem and noticed that the violent hue seemed much more vibrant, the color almost brimming with life. Red splotches danced around the edges of the gem, like the flickering of a flame. She recalled something that Madoka had told her in many timelines._

Your name is so cool! It means flame, right?

How fitting, _Homura thought._

 _She turned her eyes back to the dragon she owed this opportunity to and bowed her head. "Thank you for this gift, Great Red-sama. I will use it well."_

 _The dragon grinned back at her. "I'll be disappointed if you don't! But be warned -" He leaned towards Homura._ _"That Sacred Gear has a mind of its own; if it doesn't think you're worthy of it, then it'll leave you high and dry." He smiled at her, a fanged grin that instilled a feeling of caution. "Did you know that it represents the Holy Cross on which Christ was crucified? The gear is infused with the concept of self-sacrifice; are you prepared to bear its burden?"_

 _Homura thought back to the hundreds of timelines she had spent trying to save Madoka. The blood, sweat, and tears she had shed, the emotions and relationships she had thrown away, and the pain and grief that she had persevered through after each failure were all for the sake of her single wish. "I am no stranger to giving something up if it will draw me closer to my goal."_

 _Great Red seemed pleased by her response. He slowed to a stop as he stared off into the distance, concentrating on something only he could see. "Alright, I've arranged everything. Now it's only a matter of time before it begins. I can send you directly to her once everything is in place unless you wish to head back to your world first?"_

 _Homura slowly shook her head. "There is nothing left for me back there now."_

 _The words were sorrowful, but the tone that conveyed them was filled with hope._

 _Hope for a better tomorrow, for a reality where she could be reunited with the one she loved._

 _The hope that she had always been searching for._

" _I'm ready at any time."_

 _They waited there together, impassively. She couldn't tell the passage of time in the void — it felt like years, but it could've been seconds that passed by in the other worlds._

 _Eventually, Great Red grew bored and went back to performing somersaults and other acrobatic tricks in the nothingness that pervaded the space. When Homura began watching him, he grew irritated and told her to stop staring again._

 _So, she turns her attention back inward, lost in her thoughts. Her mind wandered, back to old memories of a more pleasant time._ How long has it been since I sparred with Kyouko, or ate Mami's cooking?

 _The three of them had grown close together over the course of their lives protecting Mitakihara. Homura even considered them to be close friends, after a certain point._

 _But all good things must come to an end, as they usually do._

 _Kyouko, brash yet brave, was cut down from behind one day by a hostile magical girl. The severity of her wounds rapidly sapped her magic, and there was nothing they could do before it ran out and she disappeared. The two of them avenged their fallen comrade, but Mami too succumbed to despair over the grief of losing a friend and the guilt from killing another magical girl._

 _And thus, Homura was all alone, as she always knew she would be one day._

 _Her mind began to drift down avenues of memories of a lonelier time when a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts._

" _Hey. It's time." Great Red's voice shakes Homura out of her stupor._

 _She quickly composed herself and nodded her assent. "I'm ready."_

 _He returned the gesture. "Good luck," he said simply._

 _With that parting comment, Homura's world disappeared in a mass of swirling colors and flickering lights. When she opened her eyes again, she beheld a wondrous sight._

 _A young woman with beautiful pink hair and a long white dress was standing before a massive throne. There was no one else in the room, but the echoes of receding footsteps informed her that someone had recently left._

 _The woman turned around as if she sensed Homura's presence. "Homura-chan?" Large golden orbs widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?"_

 _The magical girl walked forward and embraced her goddess tightly. "You know that I would follow you anywhere, Madoka." She leaned back and looked her loved one square in the eye._

" _Why would another world be an exception?"_

" _I see . . ."_

 _The goddess smiled gently and returned the hug. "I'm glad to see you again, Homura-chan."_

 _She did not press the issue, nor did She ask Homura to explain._

 _Maybe She already knew this would happen, all along._

 _After all, . . ._

 _The omniscience of a god could be a fickle thing._

Great Red was right . . . _Homura thought as she inhaled Madoka's scent._ _It was rich and fragrant, as befitting a goddess of hope._

Here, even someone as lowly as me . . .

 _She gazed longingly at her face._

Can touch someone as great as her . . .

 _She buried her face in the shoulder of the one she sacrificed everything for and cried out her hidden worries and frustrations. Slowly, she drifted to sleep, nestled in the arms of the one she held most dear._

 _Madoka smiled sadly as she ran her hand through Homura's hair._

 _Even if she knows her friend won't hear it._

" _Thank you for everything, Homura-chan."_

 _She still wanted to say it anyway._

 _Because no matter how often she does—_

 _It would never be enough to repay her for everything she had done for her._


	4. Shining like a light

"Care to explain yourself, Akemi-san?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

Homura and Sona were sitting together in the Student Council clubroom. The other members rushed around, filing paperwork and filling out forms, while the president had pulled Homura aside for a "private chat".

"Need a refresher? You should know that I just got back from watching Rias's Rating Game against Riser."

Homura blinked at the familiar names. "Ah, I remember that. How did it go?"

Sona adjusted her glasses as she continued. "At the end of the match, Rias's newest Pawn, one Issei Hyoudou, smacked some device into Riser's face, upon which it promptly detonated, grievously injuring Riser and blowing himself back."

She looked Homura in the eye.

"His last words before he passed out were 'I made soggy fried chicken.'"

Homura retained a blank expression.

Sona gazed sternly at her. "Riser's wounds were covered with holy water, as well as some traces of holy fire. I asked Rias where she acquired such a . . . potent device, and she referred me to you."

She clasped her hands in front of her. "Since you did it to aid a dear friend of mine, I won't ask how you procured such a device. It should go without saying, but I trust that you won't bring anything like that here?"

Homura nodded. "I understand."

Sona sighed. "Good, in that case, that will be all."

They bade each other farewell, and Homura began the walk back towards the church.

" _Homura-chan! How have you been? Made any new friends?"_

Homura was startled out of her thoughts by the message from Madoka, but she soon had a small smile on her face. " _It's good to hear from you again, Madoka. I am well, although I have not made any new 'friends' yet."_

Homura couldn't see Madoka's expression, but she got the impression that the goddess was pouting.

" _That's no good, Homura-chan! It's not healthy to be alone all the time, you know? Surely, you've talked to some of the people there?"_

Homura's thoughts drifted to Asia, who had begun residing in the church with her. " _There is a nun that moved into the church some time ago. I've been teaching her various skills to help me manage the church."_

" _That's wonderful! Anybody else? Maybe someone at the school?"_

" _I have spoken to a select few students at the school several times."_

" _Really? Who are they?"_

" _They're all devils."_

" _Well, that's not a big issue!"_

" _Isn't there a tenuous truce right now? Spending too much time with them might draw suspicion."_

" _Don't think about it like that! Instead, think how it'll be a great example that we can all live peacefully together!"_

Homura smiled warmly. " _It's just like you to phrase it like that."_

She heard the goddess giggle across their connection.

" _Being optimistic is one of my strong points, you know! Anyway, how's the renovation coming along?"_

" _It's complete; I even added a few aesthetic details that I think you would like. However, very few people have visited the church."_

" _Well, at least you managed to help the one person that did, right?"_

" _I didn't do anything. That was all Asia and you."_

" _But if you hadn't convinced that woman to stay, we never would have gotten the opportunity to help her."_

" _I suppose . . . ."_

" _You've been working very hard, Homura-chan. Why don't you take a break and come visit Heaven sometime?"_

Homura was tempted to immediately accept, but her sense of duty caused her to hesitate. " _I wouldn't want to trouble anyone by shirking my position here."_

" _It'll be fine! We can send someone else to help watch the place while you're gone, and everyone deserves a vacation at some point."_

" _In that case . . . I would be happy to accept."_

" _Wonderful! I look forward to seeing you again, Homura-chan!"_

" _I as well."_

xxx

Madoka let out a tired sigh as she cut the telepathic link with Homura.

"Are you alright, Madoka-sama?"

She turned to Michael with a smile. "I'm fine, Michael-kun. Just a bit tired." She yawned as she stretched a little. "It's strange: ever since I got here I've been feeling wearier." Madoka adopted a thoughtful expression. "Before, I never felt sleepy. But now, drowsiness feels like a new experience, yet it also feels familiar at the same time." She looked at him quizzically. "Is that weird?"

"I know not of your station before," Michael said, "but with your new burdens, it is quite normal to feel exhausted at times. Even Father grew weary at times."

"Oh? How did He cope with it?"

"The number of times where He felt tired was few, but the one time where it actually mattered . . ." Michael's face became downcast. "Regardless, I believe that you are feeling tired due to the high demand for your power coupled with the meager amount of faith you are receiving."

"Is that so? Isn't Christianity one of the largest religions?"

"It is, but they are praying to _God_. Not you. Their faith is rerouted to you due to your position, but it is weakened in the process."

Madoka furrowed her brow in thought. "When that woman I helped prayed, I felt a much larger influx of faith than usual for one person."

Michael nodded. "It is likely because she was praying directly to _you_. You received the full benefit of her belief, without any loss to the process of conversion."

"I see . . . in that case we may need to inform the masses of the new situation in Heaven."

He frowned, worry creasing his face. "Are you sure that is wise? Such an announcement will create a severe backlash. Many will be shaken by the idea that God _can_ die. Many more may stubbornly refuse to believe the truth. Some may refuse to accept you and simply abandon their faith."

Madoka smiled sadly. "I don't like deceit. When the people pray, they should know who they are putting their faith and their trust in. I would like to end this pretense sooner rather than later."

"That may be necessary for the long-term, but we will need to be very careful how we deliver the news."

Madoka pondered the issue. "We will need to do this slowly. Give hints that there is more to the situation in Heaven than meets the eye. Maybe sprinkle a few miracles here and there to push the doubters into becoming believers."

"Are you sure that is wise, Madoka-sama? Intervening directly like that can potentially backfire if done too recklessly."

She smiled at him. "I already said that I preferred a hands-on approach, didn't I?"

He sighed but deferred to her judgment. "As you wish."

Suddenly, he straightened up with a grimace on his face. "However, I'm afraid a troubling situation has arisen. Several of the Excalibur fragments have been stolen from the Church."

"Excalibur? Isn't that a famous sword?"

"Indeed, it is one of the strongest Holy Swords to ever exist. However, it has been broken into seven fragments, each fashioned into a new sword that contains one of the original abilities of Excalibur. Our agents have informed me that the stolen swords are likely to be in Kuoh."

"Kuoh? That's where Homura-chan is!"

"Could you request her to investigate this matter? A problem such as this must be handled promptly, lest the other factions take this as a sign of weakness."

"I can . . . but I am a bit worried . . ."

"I agree; a group with the resources to steal three valuable artifacts from high-security vaults should not be trifled with, so we should send some more personnel as backup. Would you like to send more of your followers?"

Madoka slowly shook her head. "Homura is . . . unique. I'll need more time before I can send any more of my girls out. Can you send a few exorcists instead?"

Michael nodded. "There are a couple of promising young exorcists that are suitable for the task. I shall send them to provide support."

"I have complete faith in your judgment."

A voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. "Hey, Madoka-chan! Mami-san is hosting a tea party! You coming?"

Madoka turned around and replied, "Coming, Sayaka-chan!" She turned back to Michael. "I'll leave it to you, then."

Michael smiled back. "Farewell, Madoka-sama."

xxx

Homura was cleaning up the church when the doors suddenly opened. Two young girls walked in, each wearing a Church battle suit. One had short, blue hair while the other had chestnut hair tied in twin pigtails.

They looked around, perplexed by the strange interior design and decorations.

"Are you sure this is the right church, Irina? This place looks strange," the blue-haired exorcist said.

"I'm pretty sure about it, Xenovia! I even double-checked it on the map," her partner replied.

Homura cleared her throat to attract their attention before speaking. "Are you two the exorcists that Michael-san sent?"

Xenovia regarded her with a critical gaze. "Yes, we are. I assume that you are the one we are supposed to team up with for our mission? I hope you can pull your weight."

"Xenovia!" Irina chided. "Be respectful."

"I assure you that I will not be a burden," Homura replied. "My name is Homura Akemi."

"Xenovia Quarta."

"Irina Shidou!"

Homura nodded as she committed the names to memory. "Would either of you like something to eat?"

"We wouldn't want to impos –"

As if on cue, Xenovia was cut off by the rumbling of both exorcists' stomachs, causing her to look away in embarrassment.

Irina chuckled weakly. "A meal would be really nice, if you don't mind . . ."

"This wouldn't be an issue if you hadn't spent all our money on that fake painting!" Xenovia hissed.

"It's not a fake! It's a genuine representation of Saint–"

Homura cut in before their argument grew too out of hand. "It's no trouble. I was feeling a bit peckish myself, and it's important to be in peak condition before an important mission. Please sit down while I go prepare."

She headed into the kitchen, where Asia had already been in the process of making lunch. The nun looked up curiously as she approached.

"A couple exorcists dropped by. After lunch, I will join them on a mission," Homura explained.

Asia nodded. Her face fell as she spoke. "I see . . . maybe it's better if they don't notice me here . . ."

Again, Homura felt a voice in the back of her mind, an instinctive urge to comfort. She gently put one hand on the other girl's shoulder as she said, "You shouldn't have to hide like that. They don't know your circumstances; they don't know the injustices you went through."

"I – I don't want to cause any trouble . . ."

"You would cause far more trouble by hiding away whenever someone from the Church drops by. You need to face your fears; running will only delay the inevitable."

Asia looked hesitant but eventually nodded in agreement. "Al – alright. I'll try."

They prepared the meal in silence. Only a few words were exchanged for passing cutlery around and sharing various tasks. Soon, lunch was ready to be served.

They brought the food out to the table where the exorcists had made themselves comfortable. The latter had been speaking in hushed voices, but looked up as the aroma of the imminent meal drew near. They stared eagerly at the food, but their eyes widened as they caught sight of Asia.

"Hey . . . aren't you that Holy Maiden that was banished from the Church a while ago?" Xenovia asked.

Asia's eyes darted around, not quite meeting the gaze of the exorcists. She nodded meekly to the question.

Xenovia scowled. "You shouldn't be here. Who told you that you could seek refuge in a church after being exiled from the organization?"

"I did," Homura said.

Irina, sensing an argument brewing, tried to intervene. "Hey now, we have an important mission coming up and arguing amongst ourselves like this probably isn't the best idea –"

Xenovia turned to Homura and continued speaking, heedless of her partner's words. "You would defy an edict from the Church? The rules are in place for a reason; people are less likely to stray from the proper path when dire consequences await those that do!"

"Rules are cold and merciless. They care not a whit about extenuating circumstances or other factors. To them, there are only two extremes: guilty or innocent. Would you want to be judged by a system that could not look past the deed and peer into the heart of the accused, to see the reasons that drove them to do what they did?" Homura replied.

Xenovia frowned. "What are you trying to get at?"

"While I do not know Asia's exact transgression, I know that she did it with good intentions in mind, only to be punished for it. Doesn't that seem unfair to you?"

Xenovia had a pensive expression as she gazed at the timid girl shuffling her feet. Eventually, she relented and dropped the subject. "Fine. Whatever."

Irina looked relieved that the issue had been resolved without much conflict.

They settled down, gave thanks, and began eating. Conversation was sparse, with only the noise of chewing to punctuate the silence. Soon, lunch was wrapped up and they began cleaning up.

"Thank you very much for the meal!" Irina said with a smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Xenovia said.

Homura nodded in response. "It was no trouble."

"I – I 'm glad you enjoyed it!" Asia said.

Xenovia glanced at Asia briefly but did not bring up the topic again. She offered the nun a small nod.

"Before we do anything major, we should inform those in charge of this town what we are planning to do," Homura said.

"Agreed," Xenovia replied.

Irina nodded.

Homura looked back at Asia before they departed. "Take care."

Asia waved back. "Good luck!"

xxx

"Is that so? That's troubling," Sona said.

Homura and the exorcists were currently meeting with Rias and Sona in the Occult Research Club's clubroom. Tsubaki and the rest of Rias's peerage were present as well.

"I assume you two are here to assist in the reclamation of the stolen Excaliburs?" Sona asked as she looked towards Xenovia and Irina.

"Correct," Xenovia replied.

"We would like your permission to move freely in your territory while we are on our mission," Homura said.

"I see no problem with granting such a request, unless Rias has any objections?" Sona asked as she looked towards her friend.

Rias shook her head, but she appeared distracted, glancing at Kiba periodically. The Knight in question seemed unsettled by the topic, his fist clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

Irina noticed these subtle gestures and spoke up. "Ah, I mean no offense, but since this is Church business, we'd appreciate it if you devils stayed out of it."

"That should be no issue as wel –"

Sona was interrupted as Kiba cut into the conversation. "Stay out of the Church's way? That would be a lot easier if the Church didn't drag innocents into its schemes in the first place!" His piece said, he stormed out of the room.

"Kiba!" Rias rushed after him, along with her peerage.

Homura frowned as she witnessed the scene. "I assume that he has some personal history with the Church?"

Sona sighed. "Indeed, he does. Hopefully, Rias can reign him in and prevent it from being an issue, but you three should watch out just in case."

They nodded and took their leave. Once they were outside, they began discussing their plan.

"Before we begin, we should share our capabilities, so we know what to expect from each other in a battle," Homura said.

The other two girls nodded in agreement.

"Irina and I are both proficient with the sword as part of our training as exorcists," Xenovia said.

"Close quarters combatants then," Homura noted. "Anything else?"

"The Church also gave us two of the remaining Excalibur fragments to use on this mission," Irina said. She plucked a string that had been tied to your arm, and it shifted and warped into a katana with a gold guard and a long grip. "I have Excalibur Mimic!"

Xenovia gestured to the object wrapped in cloth she had been carrying with her. "And I wield Excalibur Destruction."

Homura frowned. "That seems like a risky decision on the Church's part. If you two failed, the enemy would have gotten two more of the Excalibur shards, and the situation would only have gotten worse."

"I trust in the Church's judgment. With these weapons, our odds of success are much higher," Xenovia replied.

Homura still looked skeptical but didn't press the issue.

Trying to get the conversation back on track, Irina asked, "So, what can you do, Akemi-san?"

"I am primarily a long-range combatant with some utility magic at my disposal."

"Magic? So, you're a magician?"

"The proper term would be 'magical girl'."

Xenovia and Irina looked at Homura strangely.

Homura glanced away out of embarrassment. "Anyway, I can teleport myself short distances, and I can do the same with anything I'm touching, people included. I can also detect nearby magical signatures."

"Wow, that's really handy! You can teleport us to quickly get us close to our targets, and you can teleport yourself away to maintain distance from the enemy!" Irina said.

"Yes, but we would need good coordination to perform the former without the risk of either of you getting struck while disorientated. Since we have not worked together before, I would like to avoid teleporting either of you in the midst of combat if possible."

Irina looked disappointed but conceded the point.

"Now then, do we have any leads?" Homura asked.

"Nothing specific. We only know that the Excalibur shards are being hidden somewhere in this city," Irina said.

Homura rested her chin on her hand as she pondered the issue. "They would not want to leave such valuable artifacts unattended to for long periods of time, so they will likely have people guarding them. However, personnel, especially those involved with the supernatural, are likely to draw attention, so they will need to base themselves in a relatively isolated location."

She glanced back at the two exorcists. "I'm thinking that the outskirts of town are the best candidates at the moment, unless either of you have any other suggestions?"

Both of them shook their head, so they proceeded with Homura's plan. They moved swiftly, and as they neared their target location, the number of other people began to dwindle. Soon, they arrived in a section of the city that seemed to be mostly abandoned, with derelict buildings scattered around.

Homura discreetly glanced at her Soul Gem; it pulsed faintly, indicating very weak traces of magic. "I'm picking something up, but the source is very faint. Should we investigate or look for stronger signs?"

"We should follow up on every lead we get," Xenovia said. "There's no telling when we will find another one."

Irina nodded in agreement.

"Very well then," Homura said.

They slowly closed in on the area where Homura detected the magical signature. As they got closer, she noticed that the target seemed to be moving around quite a bit. Suddenly, the source's magic level spiked.

Alarmed, Homura scanned the nearby buildings for any sign of an enemy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a cloaked figure perched on a rooftop, a light spear in hand and poised to throw. It aimed and fired directly at . . .

"Get back!" Homura yelled.

Her hand made contact, and with a flare of her wings, a startled Irina was transported a few paces back. A few moments later, the light spear struck the ground where the exorcist had stood, dissipating soon after.

The foe, seeing that the ambush had failed, turned and began retreating.

Homura grimaced but did not give chase, knowing that doing so would force her to leave her comrades behind and potentially allow them to be picked off individually.

Xenovia approached her partner and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. Irina, shaken by the sudden attempt on her life, took a deep breath as she tried to calm down. She smiled weakly. "Thanks for that."

Homura gave a quick nod in reply.

Soon, Irina managed to regain her composure and stopped trembling. She glanced curiously at Homura's manifested wings.

Noticing her gaze, she said, "They are a component of my magic."

Irina nodded wordlessly.

Xenovia wore a scowl on her face, troubled by the underhanded attack on her friend. "A sneak attack? If the treacherous fallen are the culprits, I should have expected no less. We should pursue; we can't let them get away with brazenly attacking us."

"I agree, but we must be cautious. The enemy is likely reporting back to their superiors, and they now have some idea of my magic as well as our location. They could be setting up more traps as we speak."

"Then we should move quickly, so they do not have time to do so!"

"We cannot afford to be reckless. The enemy outnumbers us, and if they can use several of their members to take down even one of us, that is still a good trade for them. Completing our mission quickly is not worth the additional risk to our lives."

Xenovia grumbled, but as she glanced at her partner and recalled Irina's near-brush with death, her expression softened. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

Homura nodded, then began explaining her plan. "If our enemy consists of fallen angels, then open areas are the worst terrain possible for us. They can use their flight to stay out of range of your swords while constantly harassing us with light spears to weaken and eventually kill us. We have no means of restricting them to an enclosed area either, so a direct confrontation is out of the question."

She pursued her lips as she looked at the various buildings surrounding them. Some were grouped together, while others were spaced apart from each other. "I believe the best course of action is to be stealthy. The fallen are unlikely to give up their height advantage, so they will have very few forces on the ground, if any at all. We can use the buildings as cover as we move toward their main hideout, and I can teleport us across any stretches of open space."

Homura glanced back at the two exorcists. "Any objections?"

They shook their heads.

"In that case, let's move. I'm not detecting any of them nearby, so we don't have to take cover just yet."

Homura led the way, using her Soul Gem to track the magical signature of the fleeing enemies. After covering some distance, more signatures began popping up, and Homura signaled her comrades to duck into a nearby building.

Using her Soul Gem to determine the positions of the nearby fallen angels, Homura deduced the best route for her party to take to avoid drawing attention to themselves. When there was not an easily accessible building close by, she would teleport the other two girls to the nearest suitable building before doing the same for herself.

This pattern repeated as Homura led the group in the direction where she felt the strongest concentration of magic.

Finally, they arrived at the building where Homura felt the source was located. It seemed less run-down than many of the surrounding structures.

She whispered, "I'm detecting a large number of magical signatures in this building; this might be the enemy's base. If we're lucky, the stolen Excaliburs will be located here. Either way, we're going to need to hit them hard and fast while we have the element of surprise. On my signal, Xenovia, you'll start us off by blasting our way in."

Xenovia and Irina nod; the former unwrapped her sword while the latter formed the string on her arm into a katana.

Homura manifested her bow in one hand as she held up her other hand, five fingers splayed out.

 _I am sorry, Madoka._

Her thumb tucked itself in.

 _I will likely be responsible for several deaths in the coming moments._

Her pinky joined her thumb.

 _I know you detest killing, but it is the privilege of the strong to show mercy._

Her ring finger curled down.

 _And against these odds, I am not strong enough to be able to take the risk of sparing my enemies._

Her middle finger bent down.

 _Forgive me._

Her index finger joined its kin.

For a brief second, she felt a surge of warmth rush through her, as if someone had embraced her.

The moment passed, and with a battle cry, Xenovia unleashed a destructive blast that tore a large hole in the wall and charged in. Irina joined her soon after.

Homura stepped through the rubble and immediately assessed the situation. The exorcists had managed to cut a swathe through the enemy ranks while the fallen had been reeling in surprise, leaving several bodies lying on the floor, unmoving. However, the remaining foes had managed to reorganize themselves, using their light spears to keep the exorcists at a distance while they retreated to the exit.

 _Not a chance,_ Homura thought.

She drew back an arrow and infused it with holy fire. In her mind, she visualized the effect she desired, and the Sacred Gear responded, the flames on the arrow twisting in response to her will.

She fired, and the arrow struck the ground ahead of the retreating enemies, coating it in a sea of purple fire. The enemy, startled by the sudden appearance of the hazard, hesitated as their natural instincts warned them to avoid touching the flickering flames.

In the meantime, Xenovia and Irina capitalized on their enemies' brief pause, closing the distance and striking down foes left and right in close quarters, as was their strength. The fallen angels were in a panic now; several sought alternative escape routes while others attempted to fend off the two girls making mincemeat of them.

None of them had noticed Homura yet, giving her a few moments where she could shoot down several enemies without fear of reprisal. However, her actions soon drew the attention of a few of the remaining enemies. They charged at her, seeking to leave through the hole Xenovia had created and clearly expecting her to be an easier target than the exorcists.

A mistake that they direly paid for.

Homura stood her ground and relentlessly barraged the incoming foes. They attempted to parry and dodge the arrows, but in such close confines, they were unable to avoid all the attacks. The ones struck writhed in agony as holy fire began eating away at their flesh.

The remaining enemies recklessly continued their charge, heedless of their fallen comrades.

As the rest closed the distance, Homura tapped a nearby boulder with her foot.

It reappeared a moment later in front of the enemy in lead, materializing just in time to trip him up.

He fell, and his allies behind him, unable to arrest their momentum in time, tripped on his body and tumbled to the ground with him in a heap.

While they were incapacitated, Homura calmly aimed downward, and with a blank expression, served as their executioner.

Their screams were short; Homura made sure to aim for vital points to ensure quick deaths instead of letting them burn to death from the holy fire.

She glanced around the room; Xenovia and Irina had finished off the last of their opponents. The smell of blood and charred flesh lingered in the air.

 _After taking several lives, I only feel numb._

She glanced down at her hands; her nature as a ranged combatant meant that no blood had stained them.

 _Even so, my hands are perpetually tainted. Ever since that day . . ._

The day where she had been forced to shoot her friend.

She was forever haunted by that memory, the sound of a soul shattering.

 _Compared to that, killing these nameless, faceless enemies is child's play._

Xenovia spoke up, interrupting Homura's thoughts. "You didn't mention that you could use holy fire."

Homura shrugged. "I primarily use it to augment my attacks, so I did not think it was worth mentioning."

She glanced at her Soul Gem; several magical signatures were clustered around the building, but one-by-one, they began fading away. "The rest of them are outside, surrounding us, but they're beginning to leave."

She narrowed her eyes. "If they've decided to cut their losses and run, then I doubt that the Excaliburs are here. If they were, they most definitely would have stayed to prevent us from taking them."

Xenovia grimaced. "So, this was a waste of time then."

Irina attempted to cheer her partner up. "Don't think like that! We might still find something useful here, such as more information."

"I agree," Homura said. "At the very least, we have thinned the enemy's numbers substantially. That will make it harder for them to conduct operations in the future."

Xenovia grunted, then began searching the room. Homura and Irina joined her in looking for papers and other objects that could serve as messages or data. After a few minutes of rummaging around, Irina discovered a message on a scrap of paper.

"Hey! I found something."

Irina began reading the message aloud. "The Church has kindly decided to bring more fuel for the impending bonfire. Relieve them of their artifacts, then bring the fragments to this location."

Listed below the message was an address, presumably, the one referred to in the message.

Homura glanced at the address. "That area? I believe there are only abandoned warehouses there. A likely area for the supernatural to hide their activities."

"In that case, we have our next lead. Let's hurry to this spot," Xenovia said.

Homura looked outside. Night had fallen, and the moon languidly hung in the air, reminding her of the weariness she was feeling now that the adrenaline had worn off. However, there was no time to lose.

"Let's go," she said.

xxx

As the trio neared their destination, Homura detected another large collection of magical signatures nearby. She signaled her comrades to slow down, and they proceeded cautiously to investigate.

In the darkness, Homura could make out several figures dancing in the moonlight. She recognized four of them: Issei, Kiba, Koneko, and a boy that she recalled being in Sona's peerage. They surrounded a man with a gleaming sword in hand, and while this might seem like a losing situation for the solo party, the defendant was keeping up with his attackers and even managing to score solid hits while avoiding the worst of the attacks thrown his way.

She noticed one more figure, an older man, standing nearby, observing the spectacle.

"Freed Sellzen, and Valper Galilei," Xenovia uttered with a disgusted expression.

Homura turned to her curiously. "You know them?"

"The man with the glowing sword down there is Freed; he was an exorcist that was a prodigy for his mastery with the sword, but was exiled for being too bloodthirsty and crazy. The guy hanging back is Valper; he was excommunicated for experimenting on children in his 'Holy Sword Project'," Irina supplied.

Homura nodded in understanding as she looked back at the battle unfolding. "So, it seems the devils decided to get involved after all."

Xenovia scowled. "We didn't need their help."

"Be that as it may, they managed to lure out two potential leads for us; we should capitalize on this opportunity while we can. You two help them with Freed; I'll secure Valper," Homura said.

Xenovia grumbled as she kicked off towards the fight, Irina close in her wake.

Homura heard the clash of steel as well as excessive swearing and cursing soon after. _He may be good, but I doubt he can handle two more combatants putting pressure on him._

She turned toward her target and noticed that he had begun trembling and sweating. He said something, possibly an order to retreat. _Not giving you the chance!_

She pulled back an arrow and willed her magic to blunt the tip. _He's just a human, so I'll have to hold back a bit more._

Valper was backing away, soon breaking into a full-on run. Homura fired, and the man ran straight into her attack, collapsing. _Now to capture him._

However, Freed suddenly appeared by Valper's fallen body, looking noticeably worse for wear. "Shitty priest! First, you stop me before I cut up these filthy devils, and now I have to carry your sorry ass out of here too?"

He gave Valper a quick kick before slinging the man over his shoulder and moving so fast he appeared to be a blur.

The sudden disappearance of her quarry left Homura briefly startled before she composed herself. _One of the stolen Excaliburs had the ability to grant enhanced speed. I should have accounted for that sooner._

She dashed after the enemy, teleporting short distances in an attempt to pick up their trail. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xenovia and Irina similarly in pursuit. However, the darkness prevented her from using vantage points to see long distances, and she found herself unable to track them down. Sighing, she regrouped with the exorcists, who were both panting with exertion.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to pinpoint their location," Homura said.

Xenovia shook her head. "No, it's our fault for letting Freed disengage. We underestimated his speed."

Irina sat down against a wall. "If he really was wielding Excalibur Rapidly, I doubt there's much we could have done to stop him."

Homura folded her arms and leaned against a wall. "We should retire for now. We are all exhausted, and any more we try to do will be more likely to hurt rather than help in our current condition."

Neither exorcist offered any complaint, and so the trio began the trek back towards the church.

xxx

The next morning, they set out again after eating breakfast and once Asia had finished healing the various wounds the exorcists had accumulated.

They searched all over town for any trace of the fallen angels or those allied with them, but their hunt proved fruitless. After hours of scouring the city, the trio was about to give up when Homura suddenly sensed an exceptionally strong magical signature some distance away.

Upon arriving at the area where the disturbance originated from, they were met by a young man with black hair, pointy ears, and a black robe. His face was unnaturally pale, and his red eyes glinted with malice.

"So, you three are all that Michael sent? Disappointing, but considering the trouble you've caused my subordinates, maybe I underestimated your capabilities . . ."

Xenovia bared her sword at him. "You're the leader of the group that stole the Excaliburs? How nice of you to show up for us; we'll take you down and get the swords back!"

Irina was tense but silent, eyes darting between the foe and the surrounding areas.

Homura was also on alert for any sign of a trap. _It's a brazen move for the leader to reveal himself like this; either this is a trap, or he really is that confident that he can take us all on._

"What did you seek to gain by stealing those swords from the Church?" she asked.

"What do I want? Quite simple, really. I want to restart the Great War," the man replied.

The casual manner in which he disclosed his end goal briefly confused the trio before the weight of his words sunk in.

"Re – restart the Great War?! You're crazy! None of the factions could possibly be embroiled in something like that again without being pushed past the point of recovery!" Irina said.

The man smiled sinisterly. "You're wrong. I assure you that the fallen angels won't perish so easily, and by the end of the conflict, we will be the only ones left standing."

He laughed, a hint of mania creeping into his voice. "And then the whole world will see that fallen angels are the strongest race!"

"If the Heavens and devils band together to stop your madness, then I doubt that your group will be able to prevail," Homura said.

"Hmm, you might be right about that. Too bad it won't matter since the two groups will be at each other's throat. After all, if those two devil heiresses are killed using the Excaliburs, their brother and sister Satans won't think twice before bringing their wrath down on the Church," he said.

Homura froze. _He intends to frame the Church!_

Suddenly, the madman's plot didn't seem so unlikely. After all, if someone had hurt Madoka, she didn't think she would be able to restrain herself. If the Satans were even half as protective . . .

She raised her own weapon at him. "If we stop you here, then you won't be able to enact your plan."

The man laughed. "Do you know who I am, little girl?"

His wings burst out behind him, black and ominous, numbering ten in total. "I am Kokabiel, the Star of God, and mere mortals like you three have no hope of defeating me!"

Xenovia and Irina began trembling as his menacing aura intensified. Homura remained still, but her inner thoughts were in a panic. _Ten wings?! He's way out of our league; retreat is our only option._

"Squashing insects individually is no fun. I'll let you all scurry back to your friends, so I can deal with you all at once. Who knows? Maybe I'll have to exert the tiniest bit of effort in the process."

"See you at Kuoh Academy." He turned around and vanished without a trace.

xxx

They arrived at the school in the nick of time.

As soon as they entered the grounds, a barrier appeared around the school, ensuring that collateral damage did not extend beyond the school. They gave a quick nod to Sona's group, who were maintaining the barrier, before heading towards the sound of fighting.

When they reached the battlefield, they saw that Rias's peerage was engaged with Cerberus demons as well as Freed, who was holding a sword that seemed far more radiant than his previous blade. Valper was hanging back, avoiding the fight while Kokabiel was hovering in the air, observing the proceedings with a grin.

"Go help with Freed; it's far easier for me to get a good shot at something as big as those demons," Homura ordered.

Irina nodded before leaping into the fray to assist Kiba against the rogue exorcist. Xenovia hung back for a second, concentrating as she pulled out a sword with a blue blade and a golden edge from what seemed to be a dimensional pocket before finally joining the fight.

Homura teleported to a vantage point and began rapidly firing arrows at the demon dogs whenever she had a clear shot. Combined with the relentless assault from Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Issei, the Cerberus demons were quickly dispatched one by one.

She looked over at the group dealing with Freed and noticed that the insane exorcist was lying motionless on the ground, his shattered sword resting beside him. Kiba, armed with a sword that seemed to radiate both light and darkness, was advancing on Valper, who was blabbering in an attempt to distract the vengeful devil when the latter was suddenly struck down by a light spear.

"His whining was beginning to irritate me. I think I'll indulge myself a bit before finishing you all off," Kokabiel said.

Kiba rushed at him with a howl of fury, only to be casually knocked aside by a well-placed strike from a light spear. He picked himself up quickly and charged back in, followed by the other melee combatants while the others hung back and provided support.

However, despite the numerous attacks being sent his way simultaneously, Kokabiel was able to deftly avoid most of them, positioning himself so that his opponents got in the way of each other's attacks and parrying any blows that came close.

 _Too clustered; I can't fire without a high chance of friendly fire._

Homura cursed at her inability to help in the present situation. Her worry grew as the situation continued to deteriorate.

Kokabiel's strength was immense; a single blow from him sent a combatant flying away in critical condition. Soon, the entire front line was incapacitated.

"Disappointing. None of them were even able to scratch me. Maybe the ranged fighters here can do better?" Kokabiel said.

He turned and spread his arms in an inviting gesture. "Come! I'll let each of you get one solid hit on me. Maybe then you'll stand a chance."

Homura, never one to pass up an opportunity, quickly strung her bow and charged her attack as fast as possible.

She fired at the same time as Rias and Akeno, their attacks simultaneously landing and erupting at the his location.

A figure stepped out of the dust, covered in purple flames that slowly faded away as they failed to find purchase on his skin.

The sound of a wingbeat was all she sensed before Kokabiel was suddenly in front of her.

"Well now," he whispered. "That actually hurt."

Startled by his sudden appearance, Homura had no time to react before a fist crashed into her torso and threw her into the side of the school. She collapsed to the ground, further aggravating what she suspected were several broken bones.

She clamped down on her emotions to suppress the pain and began channeling magic to her injuries, speeding up her recovery. _Come on . . ._

Her vision was blurry, but she could barely make out the vague forms of Rias and Akeno being similarly struck down.

"It's quite amusing, really, to watch you all struggle in vain," Kokabiel said with a sneer.

"We beat . . . your lackeys! We . . . can beat you too!" Rias said while struggling to stand up.

"That's right . . . we're not done yet," Xenovia said propping herself up with Durandal.

"You sound so sure of yourself, little exorcist. But really, you're one of the most pitiable ones here. After all, you're fighting for _nothing_ ," Kokabiel said.

Xenovia frowned as she asked, "And just what . . . is that supposed to mean?"

Kokabiel smiled sinisterly. "Exactly what it sounds like. In the Great War, it wasn't just the original Satans that perished."

Irina grew pale as she realized what he was trying to say. "N – no way . . ."

" _God is dead,_ " Kokabiel proclaimed.

Some people may have denounced that statement, writing it off as a lie created to undermine morale. However, the underlying tone and the sheer confidence exuded by the speaker all hinted at someone who truly believed in what they were saying.

No one could deny the fallen angel's credibility either. After all, he had been there in person.

Silence loomed as the weight of his words fell on everyone. The devils appeared shocked, while the exorcists had fallen to their knees in despair, their faces lifeless and empty.

Homura had seen faces like those far, far too many times during her life.

Her injuries healed, she stood, tall and confident, a beacon of light amidst the panic and fear that had gripped her allies. "Even if God is dead, so long as we hold onto hope, our future will not remain bleak."

Kokabiel turned to her with an intrigued expression. "Oh? And what is it that instills you with such confidence?"

She thought back to Madoka's kindness and her beautiful smile.

 _I wanted to protect that smile._

She remembered those final, few moments in the old world.

 _But she decided to throw her own happiness away for the sake of others._

But even with that burden on her shoulders, Madoka never stopped smiling.

 _As long as people like her exist, the world is never beyond redemption._

She gazed at Kokabiel and spoke with conviction. "A candle can light a thousand fires, and the new flame in Heaven is far, far more than a mere candle."

Kokabiel tilted his head curiously. "Is that so? Then after I crush you all underfoot, I'll have to go to Heaven and extinguish this new hope of yours. After all . . ."

He grinned savagely.

" _Even brilliant lights will cease to burn."_

He raised his hand; light spears began forming behind him, their numbers growing to the point that they blotted out the sun. "The next generation is the embodiment of hope for the future, is it not? I will utterly destroy this school and all the youth here to show the Church and the devils that there is no future for them!"

Homura's eye widened. _He's going to barrage us and turn this whole area into a wasteland!_

She teleported to the rooftop and prepared herself. _Attacking him won't stop the rain of light spears in time, so I'll have to stop his attack somehow._

Kokabiel's arm fell, and his light spears began their descent as well. They whistled through the air, promising impending death to all within range.

Homura concentrated, and magic sigils appeared in the sky, a series of interconnected concentric diamonds. Arrows made of purple energy, wreathed in holy fire, flew out en masse from this structure, a torrent of flame raging against the current that was Kokabiel's barrage of light spears. However, the purple tide was rapidly pushed back by the torrent of white.

 _It's not enough!_

As a powerful fallen angel that had lived for eons, Kokabiel's magical prowess was orders of magnitude above hers. Tactics and cunning did nothing when the disparity in strength was simply too high.

 _Transfer!_

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Issei collapsing to the ground. At the same moment, a surge of energy ran through her body, multiplying her power. She channeled the newfound strength into her attack, and the retreat of the purple tide was slowly lessened.

But it did not stop.

Even with the boost, Kokabiel's barrage slowly inched closer and closer to the school grounds. Homura felt despair mounting as their predicament seemed more and more inevitable.

 _A fight where the enemy is simply out of our league. A futile struggle that ends in the destruction of everything we hold dear. Just like . . . Walpurgisnacht._

The rain of light spears was almost on them. In that moment before their defeat, Homura closed her eyes and . . .

A furnace within her soul awakened.

It spoke to her, with a voice that was a roar, a cascading tide that knew no bounds.

 _ **What would you sacrifice for the sake of your goal?**_

 _Wha – who are you?!_

 _ **I am the blood that taints the cross.**_

 _ **I am the martyr.**_

 _ **I am the sacrifice.**_

 _ **You may know me better as Incinerate Anthem.**_

Her Sacred Gear was talking? She didn't think it was normal for Sacred Gears to talk.

 _What do you want?_ she asked.

 _ **It is not what**_ **I** _ **want, but what**_ **you** _ **want. I have the power to allow you to achieve your goal, but are you willing to pay the price?**_

Power at a price? She was no stranger to these types of deals.

She also knew better than to accept it without hearing all the details first.

 _And what is the price?_

 _ **Your life.**_

 _My life?!_

 _ **Your life energy, to be exact. The more power you take from me, the more life I will take from you.**_

Homura contemplated for a moment. Then she decided.

There wasn't really a choice, in any case.

 _I accept._

The entity was pleased.

 _ **Then take my power and burn away all who would stand in your path.**_

The difference was immediate. A wave of energy shot forward, crashing against Kokabiel, forcing him back.

He snarled. "Was that all –?"

Dark feathers blew past him, and his eyes shot open in surprise once he realized where they were coming from.

His wings. Or rather, what _had_ been his wings. They were nothing more than sagging branches now, like winter-time trees that had lost their leaves.

Even as he struggled to stay afloat, the change did not stop there. It was like his body had suddenly experienced a millennium: his skin wrinkled themselves into knots, his hair fell out, and his limbs became spindly sticks.

And as his body atrophied, so too, did his power.

His barrage of light spears slowed, stalled, then finally came to a stop.

Without a opponent to struggle against, Homura's barrage shot forward unopposed.

Kokabiel's face twisted in surprise as he watched the flaming beast creep ever closer, its all-devouring maw eating up his light spears like they were mere toothpicks. "Wha – impossible!"

His face remained incredulous until the moment the fire consumed him.

And then, there were only screams.

And eventually, that too was extinguished.

But by then, Homura had long since collapsed, her mind falling into a dark void.

xxx

Up in Heaven, Madoka suddenly stood up in alarm.

"Hmm? What is it, Madoka-chan?" Sayaka asked as she contemplated her next move in their card game.

She did not answer, simply gazing into the distance vacantly as her thoughts tumbled around in turmoil.

 _Why is it . . . that my connection with Homura-chan suddenly became so much weaker?!_

xxx

Homura woke up to a pounding headache.

As it gradually subsided, she noticed that she was laying outside on a cot and that people bustled about while vaguely familiar faces barked orders.

As the din finally receded, she noticed a voice frantically repeating in her head.

" _Homura-chan? Are you alright? Homura-chan!"_

" _I'm fine . . . Madoka."_ Homura wearily replied. " _Just a bit tired, is all."_

" _I was so worried! I felt my connection with you weaken all of a sudden and I feared the worst!"_

" _Hah . . . I just used up a lot of energy in a difficult fight. We won, so don't worry about it."_

" _If you're sure . . . but be more careful next time alright?"_

" _Alright."_

The connection severed, and Homura took the time to glance down at her Soul Gem.

It was extremely cloudy, with black mist obscuring almost all of its purple hue.

"Cutting it close," she murmured.

Focusing, she attempted to cleanse her gem with her Sacred Gear . . .

Purple washed back in, but she noticed that several black spots still remained.

Frowning, she tried again, but those black specks stubbornly remained uncleansed.

 _What . . . what's going on?_

From deep within her soul, an answer came to her in a flame wreathed tongue.

 _ **The price.**_

She instinctively understood.

Magical girls were not a normal existence: their lifespans were not limited the way a mortal's life was. Their life was tied to their emotions, their ability to keep their hopes and dreams alive.

So long as she did not despair, a magical girl could live for a long, long time.

So for someone like her, the equivalent of life energy would be . . .

Hope.

And taking away hope is the same as giving someone despair.

So that is how the Sacred Gear exacted its price.

By forcing her to despair.

She had been wondering what this hollow feeling, this constant ache in her body was. She shook her head. What's done is done, and she would not regret her decision.

Looking up, she saw Sona approaching her with a curious expression.

"Look who's awake. An impressive showing at the end there. I suppose we should thank you for getting us out of that tight spot."

The magical girl nodded absentmindedly. "I was just doing my duty. It was nothing special." She glanced at the throng of people surrounding them. "How is everyone else?"

"Luckily, everyone received treatment quickly so there should be no lasting injuries. We weren't sure about you since you collapsed from a cause that we were unable to determine, but it seems that you've recovered just fine as well."

"Yes . . . I feel fine."

A white lie, but she didn't wish to burden others with her problems.

Sona nodded. "By the way, are you a magician? I've never seen magic resembling your style before," she said.

Homura shook her head. "I'm not a magician; just a magical girl."

Sona suddenly froze as she heard two _very_ specific words in sequence. Slowly, she turned to look at the other girl with a completely blank expression.

Homura frowned at the lack of response. "Are you alright?"

Sona remained wordless.

A voice called out, and Homura turned to address it. She looked back and said, "Apologies, but it seems I have some other business to attend to. I wish you luck in cleaning up the fallout from the incident." With that said, she departed.

As soon as the other girl left, Sona collapsed to her knees.

 _Magical . . . girl?_

She could feel her rational side beginning to drown in despair.

 _So, they really do exist after all._

She buried her face in her hands.

 _Serafall must never learn of this._

But of course, she should have known better than to tempt fate.

Meanwhile, in a certain Satan's residence . . .

"THERE IS A MAGICAL GIRL . . . IN KUOH?"

Serafall Leviathan was having a good day.

"NOW I CAN MEET THIS NEW GIRL AND VISIT MY CUTE LITTLE SISTER AT THE SAME TIME."

Truly, this was the best news she's had in centuries.

Meanwhile, back in Kuoh, Sona Sitri felt a shiver crawl up her spine.

She was already beginning to dread the coming week.


	5. It's all for my wish

"Hey . . . what did you mean by Heaven still having hope even though God is dead?"

Xenovia seemed frazzled: her hair was unkempt, and her posture was slumped. But even so, her eyes glimmered with hope as she peered at Homura for an answer.

Irina stood nearby, looking none the worse for wear, but clearly still troubled by what Kokabiel had said.

After doing their share in the clean up of Kuoh after Kokabiel's attack, they had collected the remainder of the Excaliburs and returned to the church. Just before the exorcists departed to return the stolen swords, Xenovia froze everyone in place with her question.

Asia, overhearing the question, had gone rigid as well, looking at them with wide eyes. "Wha – what are you talking about?!"

Irina subtly pulled her aside and quickly explained what had happened.

Homura hesitated, wary of drawing _unpleasant_ attention by revealing facts that were contrary to common Church beliefs, but a mental nudge reaffirmed her resolve.

She spoke slowly. "While it is true that God, the _original_ God, is dead, there is no reason that another cannot take His place."

Xenovia's face contorted in fury. "What?! Are you saying that there is a usurper on the Throne of God?!"

Homura quickly shook her head. "No; Michael-san freely passed control over to the new deity."

Irina, done with her explanation, frowned. "I find it hard to believe that Michael-sama would just hand his position over to someone else, especially to an entity that is not well versed in God's teachings."

Homura thought back to the sheer affection exuded by Madoka.

 _Soothing, like a mother's cool hand on her feverish child's forehead._

"One does not have to know God's teachings to embody his virtues. Kindness, righteousness, and affection are present in all of us. A deity with these characteristics can fulfill the role of a caring parent just as well as God."

Xenovia looked at her suspiciously. "You seem to know a lot about this. You know Them, don't you? This new entity in charge."

"I followed the Goddess before she took on her new position in Heaven," Homura replied.

"Goddess? So, the new "God" is female?" Irina said.

"A – ah, I remember you telling me that, Akemi-san," Asia murmured.

Homura nodded at the two of them.

Xenovia sat down with a heavy expression. "Hah . . . all this time I thought I was fighting for God, but really I have been following someone else instead. Has my whole life been a lie?"

"Even if God is dead, His will remains. You do not need to be the original teacher in order to teach others his lessons, and even if someone else sits on the Throne of Heaven, so long as the spirit of Heaven remains pure, God will never truly die," Homura said.

Xenovia looked at her pensively. "Can She really do it? Can She keep Heaven together?"

Homura furrowed her brow in thought at the question. _They already know of God's death; it won't hurt if they realize the true situation in Heaven. Besides . . ._

She thought back to the dilemma Madoka had spoken to her about.

 _It might help Madoka get more faith._

"Would you all like to see Her? I have already been invited to Heaven for a visit, and I'm sure She won't mind if more accompany me."

The other three girls were frozen in shock.

Irina was the first to recover. "Meeting God – err – the Goddess? I don't know if we're worthy!"

Homura quickly reassured her. "Don't worry about that; She'll be happy to see you all."

" _Madoka? I'll be bringing a few others with me on my trip to Heaven."_

" _That's great, Homura-chan! I'm so glad that you made some friends that you can bring over!"_

" _Wha-? I was just thinking that maybe they could help you accumulate more faith."_

" _Pshhh, don't think like that, Homura-chan! Just enjoy yourself!"_

" _. . . I'll keep that in mind."_

Homura turned her attention back to the others. "I will make arrangements. Get your things; we're heading out."

xxx

Madoka hummed a cheery tune as she bustled around the kitchen.

Such facilities were not usually found in Heaven, but as a deity, territory creation was something that came naturally to her.

Pink ribbons adorned many of the cabinets and cutlery, a personal touch of hers.

Michael walked in and sniffed the air. "I did not know that you were experienced in the culinary arts, Madoka-sama."

"As a deity, I have a natural affinity for anything in my domain. And what brings more hope than a warm, home-cooked meal?" Madoka replied with a smile.

He chuckled. "I suppose you are right in that regard. Speaking of, what is the special occasion? I do not believe that you regularly do this."

She wiped her hands on a towel. "Homura-chan is coming over with some of her friends! I would be a poor host if I did not have some snacks prepared for their arrival."

Michael eyed the veritable feast laid out on the table. Foods of all kinds had been prepared, from soups and sandwiches to various exotic cuisines. "I think you already have an adequate amount prepared for most guests, Madoka-sama."

Madoka looked at the table and seemed genuinely shocked, as if she had just noticed the enormous quantity of food she had made. She began chuckling weakly as she flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, it seems I have gotten ahead of myself. I was so excited that it all just became a blur."

She began packing some of the longer-lasting food into boxes. "Well, no matter. We can just donate some of the extra to charities!"

Michael coughed politely to get her attention. "Apologies for interrupting you, but I have some important news that you should hear. There is going to be a peace summit between the three factions held in Kuoh – "

"Don't worry, I'm going!"

Michael blinked. "I see. I thought you would have some misgivings, seeing as you do not know any of the other major political figures and because your presence may raise some . . . difficult questions."

Madoka straightened up after stacking several boxes on top of each other and turned to beam at him. "I love peace. Nothing would make me happier than seeing everyone get along."

She looked down at her hands sadly. "I want to help make this peace a reality, but I can't do that if I hide away in Heaven."

She stared off into the distance as if she were looking at a different place, in a different time. "There once was someone who sought to protect me from myself, no matter the cost to her own wellbeing. But by doing so, she hindered me from being able to save others."

She turned back to look at him. "But in the end, she helped me get to where I am today, and I will always be grateful for her efforts."

She grabbed a tower of boxes and began carrying them off. "Besides, I can take care of myself now."

Suddenly, Madoka stumbled and the boxes she was carrying began to tip over, causing Michael to cry out in alarm.

"Madoka-sa – !"

A loud crash cut him off, burying the goddess under several of the packages.

He approached the rustling pile slowly. "Are you alright, Madoka-sama?"

Madoka's head popped up, dislodging several of the boxes, and gazed at him sheepishly. "I guess I'll need some help with this."

Michael smiled warmly. "With pleasure."

xxx

"So, you three are Homura-chan's friends? I'm so glad you all came! She's told me so much about you all!"

"I barely told you anything about them . . ."

"Shhh . . . they didn't need to know that!"

Xenovia, Irina, and Asia were sitting at a table in Heaven. Before them was a vast assortment of dishes that could make even the most skilled chefs on Earth jealous. A band, composed of several young girls dressed in colorful and frilly clothing, played upbeat songs off to the side. Angels routinely passed nearby, some occasionally stopping to gaze at the event, eventually causing a small crowd to form. These phenomena all competed for their attention.

But what they really couldn't take their eyes off were the interactions between the magical girl and her goddess.

"You've got to try this new dish, Homura-chan! I made it myself!"

"I . . . appreciate the sentiment . . . but I don't think I'll enjoy escargot . . ."

"Just try it! You won't know for sure until you try it."

". . . Fine . . ."

Irina leaned over to whisper in Xenovia's ear. "I never imagined that _God_ would act like this."

"Well, that's because She's not actually God, you know?" Xenovia whispered back.

"Even so, I've always thought that deities would be a lot more seriousthan this!"

A burst of laughter caused them to glance to the side. Michael had approached Asia, and the two of them were engaged in an animated conversation.

"So, Xenovia and Irina, right? It's nice to meet the two of you!"

The exorcists' heads snapped back to the goddess, who was gazing at them warmly. Homura, finally free from the goddess's attention, was taking the opportunity to fill her plate with more conventional food.

They quickly stood up and gave a small bow.

"It's an honor to meet you, Goddess," Xenovia said.

"L – likewise," Irina said.

Madoka waved a hand at them. "Please, just call me Madoka."

The exorcists briefly glanced at each other with a hint of surprise. "As you wish, Madoka-sama," they said in chorus.

Madoka smiled sadly at them. "I'm sorry that I'm not who you wanted me to be."

The two of them stiffened.

"A – ah, we weren't thinking – that is –!" Irina stuttered.

Madoka chuckled softly. "It's alright. I know that God left some awfully big shoes behind for me to fill, but I hope that you will be able to accept me." She gazed at them thoughtfully. "Hmm . . . tell me, what is your purpose? What are your goals in life?"

They seemed surprised by the question, but after a quick glance at each other, Irina answered for them both. "We became exorcists so that we could help people! To protect those that cannot protect themselves!"

Madoka smiled. "A good answer! One I wholeheartedly approve of."

Her expression grew melancholic. "I too desire to help others. To raise up the downtrodden and give to those that are less fortunate than most."

She let out a tired sigh. "But all the good intentions in the world won't do a thing when the people in need of aid won't accept your help."

Xenovia and Irina looked puzzled by her statement.

"What do you mean?" Xenovia asked. "Who would refuse help from a deity such as yourself?"

"Gods and goddesses are beings of faith," Madoka replied. "And right now, most of my constituents do not have much faith in me."

"Wh – what?" Irina asked. "How can that be?"

Madoka smiled sadly. "Because I am not God, nor will I ever be. Many people in the Church still cling to Him, even though He is no longer with us."

She sighed again. "Most of them still do not know the truth, but I fear that when they do, many would rather suffer while clinging to their old traditions rather than embrace me."

The two exorcists looked at each other knowingly.

"Many of the higher-ups would most definitely not handle such a revelation very well," Irina said.

"But why tell us?" Xenovia asked.

She looked at the two exorcists with a gentle expression. "Because I wish to ask the two of you for your help. I can't replace God, but I can carry on his legacy." She glanced upward. "As He said in the Book of Matthews: 'Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'"

She turned her gaze back towards the girls. "Even if He is no longer with us, we can still honor Him by carrying on the spirit of His teachings. To aid the impoverished and shelter the weak."

She held out her hand towards them. "I am much weaker than He was, and that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. So now I ask: will you help me so that I can better help others? Will you trust that I want what's best for everyone? But above all . . ."

Her eyes gained a steely tint.

"Will you believe in me?"

Xenovia and Irina were briefly stunned by what the goddess asked of them.

"Are you asking us . . . to place our faith in you? Instead of God?" Irina asked.

Madoka smiled sadly. "I know that what I ask of you is difficult. After all, it goes against what you were raised to believe, so I understand if you choose to decline. However, every shred of strength is valuable in the never-ending battle against the hate and sorrow that infects humanity."

She looked fondly at the various people that had flocked to the outskirts of their gathering. Angels and brightly-dressed young girls mingled and laughed together.

"God loved humanity, and so do I. I will do my best to save them from themselves, but I'm afraid that I cannot do it alone. So, again I ask . . ."

Her eyes blazed with an inner fire. "Will you help me fulfill God's dying wish: to protect mankind and bring happiness to those lost in a sea of despair?"

Xenovia stood still, indecision and hesitation briefly warring in her mind. Soon, she made up her mind and squared her resolve.

She clasped Madoka's hand. "I think . . . that God would be proud to have someone like you leading Heaven after His death. I will put my belief in you, that you will make things right."

Madoka smiled warmly at her newest follower. "I shall do my best to live up to your expectations."

She stepped back and gazed at the remaining exorcist without a hint of judgment in her expression.

Irina, who had been wrestling with uncertainty, made her choice after seeing her partner commit.

She, too, took the goddess's hand. "True ideals live on after the teacher's death. So long as you act with the kindness and compassion He would have . . . I will give you my support."

Madoka grinned and suddenly wrapped the two of them into a tight embrace. "I'm so grateful to both of you! Homura-chan is very lucky to have friends as great as you two!"

The exorcists yelped in protest, but the goddess ignored their pleas, much to the amusement of those nearby.

xxx

High up in the clouds, far away from the Earth and all the troubles that plague its surface, a goddess and her magical girl sat together, basking in each other's presence.

The festivities had died down, and most of its participants had already left, creating a brief lull of peace and quiet.

Wordlessly, almost instinctively, their hands had sought each other out and wrapped themselves together in a firm embrace.

 _I'll never let you go._

The silence stretched on, but neither of them was bothered; both were content to simply be in the other's company.

Eventually, the moment passed when Homura tentatively asked a question.

"Do you . . . like it here? In this new world?" she asked.

Madoka turned to her with a smile. "Of course, I do! I can do so many more things here than I ever could in our old world." She glanced to the side. "Before, I could only help magical girls that had fallen into despair. Now, I can interact with so many more people! Like those friends you brought over!" Her expression grew wistful. "It was nice, talking to them. It's been so long since I've met new people."

Homura smiled warmly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." Her head dipped "Do you . . . regret it? Taking up all this responsibility, it must be hard for you. Especially since it cost you a happy, normal life."

Melancholy swept over Madoka's face. "I do miss . . . some things. I know that I probably won't be able to talk to Mom or Dad, won't be able to hold my little brother and dote on him, and won't be able to tell my family how much I love them ever again." She straightened up. "Even if they don't remember me, a daughter who never existed, I'll always cherish the memories I shared with them. And even if it hurts to be away from them . . . I'm happy that I made a difference. That these girls have a second chance thanks to my efforts."

She turned to look Homura in the eye. "So . . . no. I don't regret my decision. I would do it all over again if I had to."

Homura sighed. "That's just like you, Madoka. Helping others even if it means hurting yourself." Her expression darkened. "Why did it have to be you? Why couldn't it hav –"

Madoka reached over and wrapped Homura in a tight hug.

Homura's body stiffened from the sudden contact, but she quickly recovered and returned the embrace. _This is what I've always wanted._

"Shhh, let the past stay in the past, okay?" Madoka said as she began gently stroking Homura's hair. Her fingers moved on their own, interweaving long strands of silky black hair into braids that looked so familiar.

Homura relaxed in the goddess's embrace and soothing ministration. "Don't you have . . . other duties to attend to?" she murmured.

Madoka smiled wryly. "I'm sure Michael-kun can take care of them for a little while. For now . . ."

She adjusted their positions to more comfortable postures. "I'll think I'll spend some time with my favorite magical girl and watch the clouds drift by."

The two of them sat under the clear blue sky, watching day turn to night until the passage of time slowly lulled them to sleep.

xxx

Elsewhere, the sister of a certain self-proclaimed magical girl was about to receive a very unpleasant surprise.

"SO-TAN! SO-TAN!"

Sona froze as she heard that dreadful voice that she never wanted to hear while inside the school.

 _No no no why is she here what do I do –_

Her train of thought was cut off as a blur of pink, white, and black rushed through the door of the Student Council room, vaulted over her desk, and picked her up in a suffocating hug.

Although her vision was partially obscured by her sister's long black hair, she could still see the various members of her peerage looking at her with bewildered eyes.

 _I am never going to live this down._

"Isn't it great, So-tan?! There's finally someone else who understands me!"

Sona swayed as Serafall released her, stumbling a few steps before regaining her balance.

 _Deep breaths. Deep breaths. I must retain my composure._

She sent her peerage a quick glare that spurred them back to work before turning back to her sister. "Onee-sama, what are you talking about?"

Serafall smiled brightly at her. "That magical girl who lives nearby."

Sona froze. _What?! How does she know? I made sure to omit Homura's "profession" from my report!_

"Wha – how did you – "

Serafall's smile grew even wider, like that of a Cheshire cat. "You didn't think that I would leave my poor sister all alone in a town with a newly restored church, did you?"

Sona buried her face in her hands. _Ah, of course. As the head of Foreign Affairs, she must stay abreast of any new developments with other factions._

 _It also gives her a convenient excuse to have people in place that can give her updates on me as well._

She sighed and looked her sister in the eye. "Onee-sama, I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself."

Serafall tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. "Can you? That big, nasty, fallen angel that wanted to cut my cute little sister up seemed to think otherwise."

Her grin shifted ever so slightly, becoming vicious and cruel. "It's too bad that I didn't get the chance to tear him apart. He would have looked nice as little tiny chunks of an ice statue."

Her face morphed back into an innocent expression, leaving no hint of the bloodlust that had been so apparent a moment ago. "I'll have to thank that girl later for dealing with him. What was her name? Ho - . . . Homer - . . . Homu - . . . Homura-chan!"

She eagerly looked at Sona. "You've met her several times, right? So, what is she like? What does she name her attacks? How many bad guys has she beaten up? Reports from my agents can only tell me so much with just observations."

Sona was momentarily stunned by her sister's rapid-fire barrage of questions. "Uh, well, she seems like a fairly reasonable individual. When I confronted her over a violation of proper procedure, she admitted her fault and apologized. She doesn't seem to call out her attacks, so I wouldn't know what she named them, or if she names them at all. As for how many foes she has defeated, I can only recall that she took out an entire hideout of fallen angels with only two young exorcists as backup."

Serafall nodded. "I see, I see. That tells me a lot. Thank you, So-tan!"

Sona coughed politely. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's the middle of the school day, and I still have a lot of paperwork to do."

"Of course, Sona-chan! I'll leave you right to it."

Serafall gave her sister one final hug before turning and skipping out the door.

"Don't forget to write!"

Sona sighed and kneaded her forehead as she mused over her sister's parting message.

 _No, I don't want to encourage her._

Well, at least Serafall wasn't her problem anymore.

 _I pity the poor soul who catches her attention next._

xxx

Homura walked through the streets of Kuoh, a novel feeling of satisfaction filling her. _That was . . . nice._

When Madoka had been a mere magical girl, Homura had admired her. _She saved me. And gave me a purpose._

Now that She was a goddess, it wouldn't be far off to say that Homura was Her most devout follower.

She could still remember the feeling of Her hands running through her hair, the sound of a melodious voice carrying her worries away.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Homura was startled by the sudden appearance of a strangely dressed girl walking next to her. The other girl's outfit was very bright and colorful, arranged in a cute fashion that was reminiscent of a typical magical girl uniform.

The other pedestrians occasionally gave the girl weird looks but did not react beyond that.

 _Either she's harmless, or skilled enough that she has enough self-control to appear harmless._

She gave her a calculating gaze without breaking stride. "Normally people introduce themselves first before asking questions."

"Ah, but you seemed so engrossed in whatever you were thinking about! I just couldn't help but ask," the other girl replied.

She paused briefly and flicked her hand.

A brief distortion seemed to settle over the area around them before fading away. The sound of people bustling around them was muted, almost indiscernible.

Homura stopped as well and glared at her. "What was that? What did you do?"

The other girl grinned at her. "Don't worry, it's just a precaution to ensure that nobody overhears us." She bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Homura-chan! I am Serafall Leviathan." She looked up and winked at her. "But please, call me Levi-tan!"

Homura froze in shock. _Leviathan? That means she's one of the Four Great Satans. Why is she here?!_

"I am honored that one of the leaders of the Underworld would grace me with her presence," she coolly replied.

Serafall frantically waved her hands at her as she continued walking. "Now, now, no need to be so formal! After all, we're both magical girls here."

Homura looked at her skeptically as she followed.

 _A devil as a magical girl? The Incubator didn't follow us here, and I don't think it exists in this world. So, she couldn't have made a contract with it, unless . . ._

She narrowed her eyes.

 _There's a different system for creating magical girls in this world?_

"Is that so? Why would you refer to yourself as such?"

"I have a magical girl TV show in the Underworld called _Miracle_ _Levia-tan_! Starring yours truly!"

Homura's brain stopped. Then rebooted, as it finally processed those lines.

 _She calls herself a magical girl . . . because of a TV show!?_

TV shows often glorified unpleasant subjects such as war and other forms of violence. The life of a magical girl was no exception.

 _She doesn't understand our struggles. Not the fear of battling terrifying abominations, not the loneliness of being isolated from your peers, and not the feeling of despair when you realize that there is no justice in this world._

"The life of a magical girl . . . is nothing at all like what is portrayed in TV shows."

Serafall tilted her head, intrigued. "Oh? How so?"

Homura turned her gaze away, a haunted look settling into her eyes. "Not everyone is the hero of their own story. Most magical girls don't last a month after becoming one. The ones that do . . . the ones that stay alive . . . some of them are so jaded that they're nothing like what the shows portray them as. They become ruthless hunters, doing whatever it takes to stay alive. Including driving off other magical girls from their territories . . . even killing them if necessary."

"And what about you?"

Homura looked back with a questioning expression.

"You seem to have stayed alive for quite some time. Would you consider yourself one of these 'ruthless hunters'?" Serafall asked, tone carefully nonjudgmental.

Homura shook her head. "No . . . all I do, I do for the sake of my friend."

 _My very best friend._

Serafall smiled sadly at her. "You're probably thinking that I don't deserve to call myself a magical girl, aren't you?"

Homura did not break her stride. "It's not a label that I would apply liberally."

Serafall sighed melancholically. "You said that some magical girls fought others for territory, yes? That there was some sort of competition, and the winner gets to live?"

Homura nodded. "Even friends weren't safe from each other. When the resource they sought grew scarce, a girl would always have to wonder if her partner would stab her in the back to get it."

"Well, I'm no stranger to fighting friends. Killed a few of them too. Civil wars are very . . . unpleasant."

"The devils were involved in a civil war?"

"How else did you think the current system of governance is in place today? All those old stories about devils being evil creatures that preyed on humanity were true once, you know. Before we kicked those old geezers out and established a new regime that focused on peace and coexistence with humans."

Homura nodded slowly. "You have my respect for going against the established norm. Not many have the courage to do that."

"It's not hard when you have something to fight for. Friends and family that would be hurt if you stood by and did nothing. But I'm sure you know that already, don't you?"

Serafall stopped walking and turned to face her. Her eyes gleamed, and her smile was razor-sharp as if it would cut Homura if she made one wrong move.

"Thank you, by the way, for helping my cute little So-tan against that big, bad fallen angel. If she had gotten hurt, then I don't know what I would have done!"

She tapped her chin as if lost in thought. "Hmm, that's not quite true. I probably would have gone on a rampage through the Grigori. And Sirzechs-chan would be right next to me if his precious Rias-chan got hurt. And then this peace conference would just be a pipe dream!"

She looked at Homura intensely. "You're neighbors with my sister, and neighbors have to look out for each other. I'm sure they taught you that in church. So, be a good neighbor and we'll all get along just fine, yeah?"

Homura caught the implicit threat buried in those words. "I understand."

Serafall grinned at her. "Good, good! Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I must be off! My fans are awaiting my return."

The noise of the people around her returned with a **POP** as she watched the Satan saunter off.

The crowd quickly swallowed her up, allowing her to disappear just as suddenly as she had appeared.

xxx

"She sure is a feisty one, isn't she?"

Homura spun around to see a tall man with black hair, golden bangs, and a black goatee speaking to her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "And just who are you supposed to be?"

He laughed as he raised his arms in a placating gesture. "Peace, peace. I'm just here to scope out where the conference will be held." He gestured at her invitingly. "I'm sure you must be tired after walking for so long. Why don't you let me treat you to some coffee? I know a great restaurant!"

Homura frowned.

 _If he's here for the peace conference, then he's likely from one of the biblical factions. In that case, I should not antagonize him unnecessarily._

"Very well then."

They leisurely walked into a nearby building. Very few other people were present, and they quickly found an empty booth to sit in. After placing their orders, the man spoke.

"I'm Azazel, by the way. You might know me as the Governor General of the Grigori."

Homura froze. _Why do the leaders of the other factions walk around in public so brazenly?!_

"Homura Akemi," she replied with only a slight delay.

He grinned at her. "I've heard a lot about you; you've made quite the impression on the people that live here. I was talking to one of Rias's peerage a while back, and he couldn't stop going on about how awesome you were when you took down Kokabiel in a single blow."

"The others weakened him beforehand, and I had others that empowered my attack," she replied.

"Ah, but Issei wasn't the only one that gave you a _Boost_ , now was he?"

Homura looked at him flatly.

Azazel chuckled unashamedly. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it. But in all seriousness, I'm right, aren't I?"

Homura remained silent.

He leaned forward, prepared to speak again when suddenly their drinks arrived.

Homura took her drink and sipped it, savoring the flavor.

Azazel flashed the waitress a wink as he took his cup. "Thanks, sweetie."

The woman blushed before turning away.

Homura gave him another flat stare as he turned back to her.

"What? It's just a bit of harmless fun. And besides, that woman will be in a state of pure bliss for a few hours now that a handsome rogue like me complimented her, so you could say that I did her a favor."

He threw back his head and gulped his coffee. "Ah, now that's the stuff! Now, where were we? Oh yes – "

"I've interrogated several of Kokabiel's lackeys that were left behind. I would've questioned the man himself, but a pile of ashes in a jar don't exactly speak." He leaned forward again. "You put on quite the show at the end there. Not many people could produce so much holy fire at once. Nor could they produce enough in such quantity to overwhelm the Star of God himself." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Of course, if one had a Sacred Gear that specialized in that, say, the Longinus known as Incinerate Anthem . . . well, it wouldn't be too hard in that case, would it?"

Homura frowned. "And exactly what point are you trying to make?"

"Nothing, really. Nosing around Sacred Gears is a hobby of mine, you see."

"Is that so?" She recalled the voice she had heard during her battle with Kokabiel. Perhaps this would be a good time to consult someone more experienced? "Is it normal for Sacred Gears to talk?"

"Talk?" Azazel looked far more intrigued than before. "It is not unheard of. There are several Gears with mythical creatures sealed into them, such as Ddraig in the Boosted Gear and Albion in Divine Dividing. Gears with such a . . . guest tend to be able to communicate with their host." He tilted his head in thought. "But I did not think that Incinerate Anthem had such a being! How fascinating . . ." He looked at her with a gleam in his eyes. "If you came to my lab, I'm sure we could conduct some . . . experiments to ascertain the true nature of whatever voice you heard."

She shivered. That gaze alone was enough to make her feel like a specimen about to be dissected. ". . . I think I'll pass."

He sighed. "A pity. Well, no matter." His expression shifted back into neutral. "I'll admit, I'm also curious as to why the Church allowed the wielder of a Longinus walk around so freely."

"I am on a mission."

"Are you now? In that case, I wish you luck. Unless your task involves bringing harm to me or mine, in which case I would most certainly _not_ give you my blessing."

"I assure you that will not be an issue."

"I'm glad to hear it." Azazel folded his arms. "On a related note, I've been hearing some interesting rumors lately: that there is a deity in Heaven again."

Homura narrowed her eyes at him.

He leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head. "Now, normally I would have dismissed the claim out of hand. There was no way that Michael would let someone else sit on Father's golden throne. But the more reports I heard saying the same thing, the less certain I was about them all being a hoax."

He turned to look out the window, at the clear blue sky that hung over them. "At one point I thought maybe Father had come back to us, that he was alive all along. Michael would certainly have no problem relinquishing leadership back to Him. But it can't be God. Because if Father really was alive, the angels would all be spreading the news in joyous wonder, and the Heavens would rejoice for days on end. Which means . . ."

He turned back to her. "Is there really someone else? Someone who Michael would trust to be God's successor?"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Homura nodded.

Azazel smiled and closed his eyes. "I see . . . looks like I was right after all. In that case, I only have one more question."

His violet eyes sought out hers and held firm. "If I proposed a peace treaty, would they be willing to accept it?"

"They would love nothing more," Homura replied evenly.

Azazel sighed and leaned back. "That's good. I hate unknowns in my plans, and a new leader in Heaven was not one I was expecting."

He returned his gaze to her. "Thank you, by the way, for sparing my subordinates in the church. Michael gave me quite the earful for not keeping them in check. They can be a handful at times, but they're still my people."

"They were not a grave threat, so I saw no need to kill them."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, it's been a nice chat, but I must get going. My dastardly schemes won't concoct themselves!"

They stood up and shook hands.

Azazel gave her one last grin as he left. "I look forward to seeing your new god at the conference."

"Farewell," Homura replied.

She watched him disappear into the streets just like his devil counterpart had earlier.

Sighing, she slumped into the booth, feeling very stressed out.

 _I wonder if I could visit Heaven again before the conference starts?_

She could really use another session of relaxation with Madoka.


	6. I ask if it will come true

Madoka hummed as she brushed her hair. Although she could adjust it however she wished with a small exertion of her power, she found it helpful for soothing her nerves.

As she gazed into the mirror, she could almost imagine an achingly familiar face gaze back with lavender hair, violet eyes, and a confident grin.

 _The more responsibilities you have, the fewer mistakes you are allowed to make._

 _I have a lot of responsibilities now, Mama,_ Madoka thought. _If I make a mistake, it won't affect just me, but everyone who depends on me too._

And wasn't that a sobering thought?

Angels, magical girls, and churchgoers (even if many didn't know it yet) – She was now responsible for all of them.

 _If this peace conference doesn't go well, then_ they _will be the ones that pay for my mistakes._

She had never experienced war, but she was eternally grateful that she had not been around to witness the Great War.

 _If what Michael-kun says is true, then the amount of bloodshed and death that occurred during it . . . I would've wept for days._

What a truly atrocious event, that it could kill God and cause Hope herself to despair.

 _And if we don't make peace, then it really_ will _happen again._

From what she had heard from Homura, the leader of the fallen angels was already making plans for a peace treaty.

 _I was so relieved to hear that. To know that I am not alone in my desire for peace._

Which, of course, just left the devils and their possible responses.

 _Homura-chan said that they acted threatening when they thought their loved ones might be in danger._

And she could respect that. After all, quite a few of them lost much during their civil war.

 _And they don't want to lose anyone else. Never again._

They didn't even really seem like devils. Just people protecting what they held dear.

 _They will destroy a threat if they must. So, I just have to convince them that there_ is _no threat._

She could think of quite a few gestures of faith to convince them of her sincerity using the Holy System.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, banishing the turmoil in her mind to the fringes of her consciousness.

Now if only the butterflies in her stomach would get the memo.

"Are you sure about this, Madoka? You don't even know these people! What if they attack you? They're supposed to be enemies, right?"

Her friend barging in and being a worrywart wasn't helping matters either.

"It's fine, Sayaka-chan! It's a peace conference; no one is going to want to fight. Besides, Michael-kun and Homura-chan will be there too."

"I know the transfer student is as stubborn as a mule, but I'd feel better if you took some of us along too. Some of us are getting restless up here."

Madoka put down the brush and turned to face her. "You know that I don't want to do that yet! It's too risky for any of you to manifest without a physical shell protecting you; if you get badly hurt, it would be a scar on your soul. And if you happened to die, you would be gone forever!"

She gave her friend a pointed look. "People that fight without care for defense are especially at risk."

Sayaka flushed. "Well, that's all in the past now, you know. I've gotten better!"

Madoka sighed. "I know you mean well, but I still don't want any of you getting hurt because of me." She smiled. "Besides, if you wait a bit longer, I think I'll be able to solve this issue."

"Really?! How?!"

"It's a surprise! You'll just have to wait and see."

"Aw, come on!"

Laughter rang out as a goddess dodged playful attempts by a friend to catch her and "make her spill the beans."

xxx

"Are you sure about this, Madoka-sama?"

Madoka wondered how many times she was going to hear that question in a single day.

"Peace will only come if we work for it, and that means we need to extend an olive branch to the other factions."

Michael frowned. "Even so, what you are proposing . . . even the most liberal of angels would hesitate to take the steps that you are considering. Allowing devils to think of God without flinching is a trivial adjustment, but changing something as fundamental as the properties of the Holy element so that devils are no longer inherently weak to it? It will upset many of the angels here."

Madoka sighed as she crossed her arms. "I know that some people can be quite set in their old traditions, but that is part of the reason why this conflict has continued for so long. They begin to fight not because they want to, but because they have been doing so for so long that they cannot even fathom stopping. Prejudice and stereotypes build up, and eventually, they cannot see past them to judge people as they truly are, even when those that the labels originally applied to are long gone."

She looked at him with a steely expression. "That makes it more important than ever to change our ways of thinking. We should judge others by _who_ they are, rather than _what_ they are, and changing the Holy element to harm those with evil in their hearts instead is both symbolic of our stance as well as an adequate gesture of faith to the Devil faction."

"But how will you bring this about? Evil can be quite subjective, Madoka-sama. How will you define what is evil, and what is not? What is malice to one may seem trivial to another."

Madoka looked away, lost in thought. "There is something the most wicked all have in common. A bottomless abyss in their hearts that yearns for the pain and suffering of others. No matter how much they try to fill it, it will always demand more, forcing them to perpetuate their cruelty."

She turned back to him. "I have seen the pits of despair. The culmination of all the hate, anger, and fear humanity has to offer. I believe that I can find it, this demon that spurs its hosts to do the unspeakable, and scour it with Heaven's shining light."

Michael grimaced. "I understand your reasoning, Madoka-sama. But I cannot say that the other angels will as well. They may accept you for now, but if you push for too much change too soon they may begin to see you as a usurper defiling God's work."

She smiled sadly at him. "Tell me, Michael-kun. Why did the Great War happen?"

Michael opened his mouth, clearly ready to give an answer, only to suddenly freeze, his expression going blank. "I don't . . . quite remember?"

He furrowed his eyebrows as he searched for the reason behind the bloodiest conflict in the history of the Three Factions, buried underneath all the hate and bloodshed that had replaced it. "Ah! I remember now. It was a war for . . . supremacy."

Madoka's face took on a melancholic hue. "So, the factions fought not to protect themselves or what they held dear, but to crush others and revel in their suffering."

Michael could only nod mutely.

Madoka's posture slumped as she turned to the side. "I cannot claim to speak for God, but I would like to think that in the end, He regretted going to war. For a parent to lose so many of His children . . . it must have torn His heart apart."

She straightened up and turned back to him. "He died before the war ended, and his children sought to avenge him. But without Him, there was no one to counsel His grieving children, so His legacy became one of bloodshed and hate."

She met his gaze firmly. "As it stands, the devils' weakness to Holy light is simply another point of friction between our factions. I will break us out of this cycle of hatred, and if they hate me for taking away God's poisoned gift, then so be it."

Michael closed his eyes as he took in the goddess's words.

 _What she proposes . . . will throw Heaven into turmoil. We will have to tread carefully to avoid severe backlash. But if She thinks that it will be worth it in the end . . . then I will put my faith in Her._

He opened his eyes. "How much of your changes have you implemented?"

Madoka suddenly looked sheepish. "Ah, well, changing the system so that devils no longer get a headache when God's name is invoked was fairly simple. I couldn't quite figure out how to change the attributes of the Holy element quite yet."

Michael nodded sagely. "The intricacies of the Holy System eluded me at the best of times as well."

He looked at her solemnly. "I suspect that the transition will be smoother if you speak of it to the other angels beforehand. Not only will it allow them to adjust to it more easily, but it could prevent some of them from finding out first-hand in a more . . . unfortunate manner."

Madoka nodded. "I had planned on doing so sometime after the conference."

"Speaking of which, we should get going. Being late would not convey the most favorable first impression."

Madoka's eyes widened. "Oh no! We're running behind, and we still need to pick up Homura-chan too!"

The goddess rushed off, blabbering over a telepathic link to a very confused magical girl, leaving a bemused angel in her wake.

xxx

A Satan and a Governor General stared at each other across a conference table, an exchange that had quickly evolved into an impromptu staring contest that neither was willing to lose.

 _Under normal circumstances,_ Sirzechs thought as he struggled not to blink, _we would be doing much more than just staring at each other._

"Much more" being a liberal application of light-spear-paint to the walls and a healthy dose of spontaneous vaporization to most of the furniture courtesy of his very own Power of Destruction.

He wished Serafall had stuck around, but the Leviathan had run off to "go on a tour of the school with So-tan" which also happened to "let you two have your man-talk."

If she had stayed, he imagined that she wouldn't be very impressed with how well their "man-talk" was going.

After all, it wasn't much of a "talk" if no one had said anything for over five minutes.

A sudden sharp bang on the table snapped him out of his thoughts and caused him to reflexively blink.

"Hah! Guess that's my win," Azazel said with a smirk.

Sirzechs looked at him with a terribly unimpressed look. "Resorting to cheating? I know fallen angels don't play fair but doing so for a friendly competition is low even for your ilk."

"Cheating? No way! My hand fell asleep, and I was just trying to wake it up. Besides, who even said it was a contest in the first place?"

Sirzechs rolled his eyes. "You seemed quite eager to claim victory."

Azazel laughed. "Alright, I guess you got me there." His expression became serious. "Heaven's delegation is running a bit late, hmm?"

"I'm sure Michael has his reasons," Sirzechs replied neutrally. "Just as I am sure that you had your reasons for changing the format of the conference at the last minute."

Originally, it would have taken place in a large audience hall where lesser, but still prominent, members of the various factions could watch the conference unfold.

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Azazel had decided to make the actual conference a more private affair while hosting a party for their entourages to attend.

A party, of all things! Well, he trusted that his wife would be able to keep his dear Rias-tan out of trouble.

Azazel sighed. "Despite the intent of the conference, this event is still a veritable powder keg. Depending on what happens, the result can be anywhere from exploding out of control to defusing it for good. I figured a party could help some of the hotter-heads cool down."

He leaned forwards. "Besides, I have it on good authority that something will happen that could . . . unnecessarily aggravate the situation if we are not careful. Hence, my decision to make this a more closed event."

Sirzechs narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You're hiding something. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk out of here right now."

The Governor General folded his arms. "If you don't trust me, at least trust in the fact that I want peace as much as the rest of you do." He looked at him with a serious expression. "What is your vision for the future?"

The Satan frowned. "My vision?"

Azazel nodded. "What do you hope for the future of your people? Or in other words . . ." He paused. "What kind of world do you want your younger sister to grow up in?"

Sirzechs inhaled sharply. _Bringing up my sister? How audacious of you._ Out loud, he replied, "I wish for a world without bloodshed, one where she does not have to stain her hands with the blood of others, one where her heart is not rent by the loss of loved ones to the hatred of an enemy."

"And how will you bring about such a world?"

He closed his eyes. "By eliminating all those who would hunt us, that think us evil because our ancestors were wicked and thus we must be so as well. They who would shed innocent blood for no reason other than that she is a devil."

"And what if the enemy lays down their arms? If they admit that they were in error and that they now wish for peace? Would you be able to forgive them?"

Sirzechs frowned. "I know that this is a peace conference, but 'not fighting each other' does not imply that we must forgive each other. I have lost . . . too many comrades to simply let go of the grief and anger."

Azazel smiled sadly. "For the sake of all who remain and the dearly departed, you must let go. True healing starts at the heart, but it cannot do so when weighed down by the sins of the past."

Sirzechs sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I will keep that in mind."

Azazel's trademark grin crept back onto his face. "That's all I ask."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Oh, that must be Heaven's delegation. Why don't you go and greet them?" Azazel asked with an amused expression.

Sirzechs frowned at the fallen angel's flippant attitude but stood up and went to the door.

"Nice of you to finally show up, Mi – . . . – chael . . ."

Golden eyes on a youthful, innocent face gazed back at him with a warm smile.

"Sirzechs-san, right? It's nice to meet you! I'm the new goddess of Heaven, but please, call me Madoka."

Behind Her, Michael smiled and waved, uttering apologies for their tardiness that Sirzechs couldn't quite hear through the turmoil clouding his mind.

He wasn't sure what expression his face was making right now, but it probably wasn't as dignified as he would have liked.

Behind him, Azazel sniggered. "Oh man, I think Gabriel has some competition for the title of 'Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven' now!"

 _He set me up, didn't he._

Sirzechs silently vowed to get back at the fallen angel for this.

But first, he had to ensure that peace was made first so that any retribution he might enact wasn't taken as an act of war.

After all, it would be quite pitiful if the Three Factions were wiped out in a war sparked by pranks gone wrong.

xxx

Madoka was very worried.

She had done her best to introduce herself properly to the leader of devils, but he was simply staring at Her with a blank expression.

 _Did I do something wrong?_

Maybe she had performed some sort of action that was considered a slight in devil culture?

 _It must have been highly offensive if he is at a loss for words._

As Madoka's thoughts began to spiral more and more into panic and worry, the Satan finally spoke.

"Madoka-sama . . . was it? It's a pleasure to meet you. I was not aware that Heaven has had a . . . change of management . . ."

Michael smiled wryly. "It was not something that was planned, but I believe that She has done an admirable job so far."

Sirzechs' eyes darted between the two of them. "I have not heard of a goddess named 'Madoka' before. I find it curious that a relatively new deity is filling in the role left behind by a much older one."

"I come from . . . very far away. I am not surprised that you have not heard of me before."

"I see," Sirzechs murmured.

Azazel stood up and moved to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Madoka-sama! I am Azazel, the Governor General of the Grigori, but I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you?"

Madoka replied in kind as Sirzechs turned to stare at the fallen angel and his lack of shock.

"You knew about Her beforehand, didn't you?" Sirzechs asked.

Azazel grinned at him. "I had my suspicions after receiving some . . . interesting reports. I did a bit of poking around to see if I could verify them, and it turned out to be quite fruitful." He turned towards Madoka. "Tell Akemi-san that I said 'hi,' would ya?"

As she smiled and promised to do so, a loud voice drew all of their attention.

"Oh! Is Michael-chan finally here?"

Serafall Leviathan walked into the room only to stop and stare as soon as she caught sight of Madoka.

And stared.

And stared some more.

Madoka began to fidget under the intense scrutiny.

"You're so cute!"

Serafall became a blur that stopped a few scant inches away from her.

"Is she some kind of new angel, Michael-chan?! You should bring her to the Underworld sometime! I would love for her to be a part of my TV show!"

Sirzechs coughed politely. "She is not, in fact, an angel, but the new goddess and leader of the Heaven faction."

Serafall froze. "Ah, my apologies for the misunderstanding. I was not aware that such a development had occurred."

Madoka chuckled. "It's quite alright, Serafall-san. Very few people knew about it beforehand. And please, call me Madoka."

Serafall smiled as she recovered her composure. "I'm glad to hear it."

She tilted her head to the side quizzically. "Hmm . . . would it be incorrect to assume that Homura-chan is only working for the Church because of you?"

Madoka blinked in surprise. "Well . . . you wouldn't be entirely wrong."

Serafall smiled. "So, you're what Homura-chan was referring to in the fight against Kokabiel? I was curious when I read that in So-tan's report, but I didn't think too much of it back then."

She stared at Madoka intensely. "Say . . . if Homura-chan is a magical girl, does that mean there are others too?"

Madoka shifted uneasily. "Well . . . yes."

Serafall's grin grew wider. "Hey . . . you wouldn't happen to be some sort of magical girl goddess . . . would you?"

"That was essentially my previous position –"

"THAT'S SO COOL CAN YOU MAKE ME A REAL MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY PLEASE – "

Madoka chuckled weakly. "I'm afraid that's not within my jurisdiction."

Serafall's tirade was halted in its tracks. "Huh? But aren't you the goddess of magical girls? How could something like that not be something you can do?"

Madoka smiled sadly. "That duty . . . belongs to another."

As the Leviathan ranted against the unfairness of the world, Sirzechs could only look on in horror.

"Serafall is never going to let this go, is she," he lamented.

Azazel nodded sagely. "You have my condolences, my friend."

He cleared his throat. "As amusing as this altercation is, perhaps we should return to the original focus of this conference? That is, making peace?"

As the others finally began to quiet down, Azazel sighed. _Hopefully, no more complications will arise._

Of course, he should have known better than to tempt fate.

xxx

At last, the time had come.

The most powerful, most influential, and most respected leaders of the Three Factions had all assembled.

It was in this conference room that the fate of one of the oldest and most prominent religions would be decided.

 _Azazel was right to keep this information contained for the time being,_ Sirzechs thought. _If the general population of devils and fallen angels knew of this, many of them would be . . . understandably concerned._

With the power of a deity backing them, the stalemate between the Three Factions could quickly shift in Heaven's favor, should they choose to pursue a more aggressive course of action.

 _I know Michael, and I know that he will do what he believes is right and just. But even if he believed that he was right in allowing her to take his place, that does not necessarily mean he made the correct decision._

He cleared his throat. "Before we begin, we should ensure that we all understand each other." He turned to Heaven's representatives. "Madoka-sama, was it? You claim that you are the new goddess and leader of Heaven."

Madoka nodded. "I am."

Sirzechs glanced at Michael. "And what of Michael? What is his position now that you are in charge?"

"I am her advisor, nothing more," Michael said. "If she makes a decision, I will abide by it."

Serafall tilted her head curiously. "I didn't think you would give up the position so easily, Michael-chan!"

"It was not a burden that suited me," he replied. "Although that may sound selfish, I believe that Heaven would have suffered far more if I allowed my pride to blind me to my own failings."

"Let us move on from the matter of Heaven's internal politics. I presume that you have been caught up regarding the history of the Three Factions, Madoka-sama?" Azazel interrupted.

She nodded. "Yes, Michael-kun has explained it to me. The origin of the Three Factions, the Great War and its atrocities, and the aftermath of these events."

"And from your knowledge of the status quo, what would you like to see happen? What is your goal here?"

"I am here to foster peace between our factions. To resolve this endless conflict and put a stop to all the needless bloodshed."

Sirzechs looked at her curiously. "You say you desire peace, but what reason would you have for seeking it? You were not present for the strife and suffering of the Great War. What right do you have to say that you desire peace as much as the rest of us when you do not understand our pain, our anger, our grief from the loss of so many?"

"You're right," Madoka replied. "I cannot understand your sorrow. But that does not mean that I do not have grief of my own to bear."

She looked at them with world-weary eyes, a hint of sadness tainting her golden pupils. "I may seem young, but I have existed for a long, long time now. Back where I came from, I was a goddess of hope. And who needs hope more than those trapped in the pits of despair? I have seen countless people perform horrible atrocities, touched their hearts and felt the madness and sorrow that drove them to do the unspeakable."

She smiled sadly. "And in the end, it was my duty to bear their grief so that they did not have to." Her gaze hardened. "So, even if I do not understand your grief in particular, rest assured that I know what it feels like to lose everything you love. I've experienced it intimately several times, after all."

Serafall looked stricken. "It was your job to make people feel better by making yourself feel worse?! That's not very fair to you at all!"

Madoka smiled warmly at her. "I appreciate the concern, but I chose the task of my own free will, and I do not regret it."

Her mind drifted back to a scene in Heaven.

 _The pearly ring of laughter, and a sea of smiling faces._

"Seeing them happy again is all the reward I need."

Azazel seemed impressed. "You're pretty big on the whole self-sacrifice thing, huh? I bet Father would have adopted you on the spot." He laughed good-naturedly.

Sirzechs remained unmoved. "A plausible story, but sadly unverifiable for the moment. But putting that aside for now . . ." He stole a quick glance at Michael. "Would Heaven truly desire peace? After all, with a new goddess lending Her strength, they are now the most dangerous of the Three Factions. They may decide that there is no need for peace when they have the means to wipe the rest of us out for good."

Madoka's eyes widened. "I would never condone such a course of action!"

"So you claim. But you are the biggest unknown here, Madoka-sama. I have known the rest of the faction leaders for much of my life. I was there when God Himself fell. I do not know you, nor what you are after. I cannot discount the possibility that you are sitting here, smiling at us with an innocent expression, simply to conceal the viper that will strike us once our guards are lowered by empty promises of peace."

"Heaven is not, nor will ever be, a threat to any of the other biblical factions unless provoked."

Eyebrows were raised around the table as She proclaimed Her bold declaration.

"And how exactly do you plan to convince us of this?" Sirzechs asked.

Madoka smiled. "Try praying to God."

Satan Lucifer frowned. "You know that invoking His name simply gives us headaches –"

He suddenly cut off as his eyes widened.

Serafall spoke up. "Huh? I'm thinking 'God' over and over and I'm not feeling anything!"

Sirzechs quickly regained his composure. "You uttered His name just moments ago. And not a single devil at this table flinched."

"You could say His name in a crowd full of devils and no one would even notice," Madoka said.

Leviathan was shocked. "Wait, really? So, you're saying that you changed the system so that any devil can use God's name without penalty?!"

"Indeed I am."

Sirzechs leaned forward with an intrigued expression. "An interesting decision to make. Quite trivial at first glance, but it sets a bold precedent for future interactions." His eyes narrowed. "However, while it is a nice gesture, it is not very impactful in the grand scheme of things. Being able to invoke God without pain will not significantly change the interactions between our factions."

Madoka smiled brightly at them. "I know. That is why I have another change I am going to implement." She looked at them with a heavy expression. "I plan to change the Holy element so that it is no longer the bane of devils. Instead, it will target those with malice in their hearts."

The representatives from the other factions all collectively froze as they processed this outrageous claim.

"Changing . . . the nature of Holy itself?" Azazel said slowly, not quite believing his own words.

"Yes," Madoka replied. "If peace is made here today, that is one of the changes I intend to implement in order to bridge the gap between our factions."

Serafall gazed at her sharply. "Hmmm, I may not know angels very well . . . but wouldn't they be quite upset if you did something like that? In fact, I can imagine quite a few fallen angels being outraged at such a change as well."

Madoka nodded. "I am aware of that. But I believe that this is a necessary change. As it is, the devils' weakness to Holy light is simply a very lethal reminder of the differences between us."

She gave them a weary smile. "Besides, while devils as powerful as you two may not be overly hindered by its current iteration, the same cannot be said for your lesser brethren. How can a devil and an angel stand together as equals, if this power inequality is always present? The devil would always be fearing for his life, knowing that this guillotine was hanging over his head, that his neighbor could turn around and kill him at any time, and that there is nothing he can do about it. True cooperation and mutual trust cannot be achieved as long as this fear is present."

Sirzechs looked at her with an unreadable expression. "You make a sound claim, but can you even do it? Even Michael could only do enough to keep the system running; radical changes such as the one you propose were beyond him. And there is no one else you can turn to for help divining the secrets of the Holy System."

"I can only hope that my efforts prove fruitful." She smiled warmly. "Then again, that is my specialty, is it not?"

Azazel chuckled. "When Akemi-san told me that you wanted nothing more than peace, I didn't think that you would go _this_ far for it." He grinned at Her with approval. "I applaud the initiative that you are taking, Madoka-sama. Heaven knows that stuffy Michael-san over there wouldn't dream of something like that in a million years."

Michael shot his fallen brethren a disapproving look.

"Well, well, I think you're my favorite person from Heaven, Madoka-sama!" Serafall commented. "If you ever want to take a break from all those angels that will no doubt be complaining about your plans to anyone who will listen, feel free to visit us! It's the least we can do, considering all the trouble you're going through for us. I know the Underworld is quite nice this time of year!" She leveled an eager face at Madoka.

Madoka smiled in response. "I appreciate the offer, Leviathan-san! I will definitely keep it in mind!" She turned to Sirzechs with an expectant gaze.

"Well then," Lucifer said slowly. "Since Michael has vouched for you, and the other leaders seem to have taken a liking to you as well . . ." He glanced at the smug Governor General and the grinning Leviathan. "Taking your gestures of faith into account as well . . . I think I will give you the benefit of the doubt."

He steepled his fingers as he intensely stared at Her. "For all our sakes, I pray that you do not prove my faith misplaced."

"I would never dream of betraying your trust," Madoka replied.

Sirzechs acknowledged her with a nod. "Now that we have ascertained Heaven's intentions, let us return to the other matter at hand. Namely, the event that almost restarted the Great War." He turned towards Azazel. "What is your statement regarding the actions of Kokabiel?"

The leader of the Grigori replied smoothly, "Kokabiel was a rogue and a warmonger whose actions do not represent the views of the Grigori as a whole. I was not aware of his plans, and I would have done my utmost to stop him had I known what he was up to." His gaze sharpened. "I've ensured that he cannot trouble us any more."

"For your sake, I hope that he does not," Satan Lucifer commented idly. He looked at him with a severe expression. "So, I assume that you would claim to desire peace as well?"

Azazel shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, unless there is some nefarious reason for me to organize a _peace_ conference so that we can make _peace_. . . then yes, I do claim to desire an end to this conflict."

"If people see your subordinates acting up, they won't believe you, you know?" Serafall said sweetly.

Azazel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, yes. There was that matter in the formerly abandoned church in Kuoh as well, wasn't there." He leaned forward with a serious expression. "Rest assured, I have every intention of making sure that any of my people that cross me will regret it." He tilted his head. "Is that satisfactory?"

"There is also the matter of your Sacred Gear research," Sirzechs mentioned. "The possibility of you weaponizing your research against us concerns me, especially now that you have the White Dragon Emperor in your organization."

"Oh, that? Rest assured, I have no intention of using my work to wage war. I am content with the world as it is." His gaze swept across the rest of them. "But if it would set you at ease, I can send each of you copies of my research materials. That way, everyone will have a greater understanding of Sacred Gears. Any objections?"

The other leaders briefly glanced at each other, but no one spoke up.

The Governor General grinned. "Now then, both Heaven and the Grigori have expressed their interest in making peace." He turned to the Satans. "Now, what say you, Lucifer and Leviathan?"

The two Satans shared a brief glance.

"I had my doubts entering this conference, but from what I've seen today, I believe that it is indeed possible for us to create a lasting peace between our factions," Sirzechs said.

"That's right! As long as we all work together, I'm sure we can make this happen!" Serafall chimed in.

"In that case," Azazel said, "Why don't we make this official by signing a peace treaty? I already have a draft prepared –!"

The world momentarily shifted, distorting as if it had just skipped a beat. A heavy atmosphere settled across the occupants of the room, ominous and foreboding.

A crash rang out, followed by sounds of explosions.

Azazel sighed. "I knew this conference was going too well."


	7. But that only God knows

Homura had never been the most social of people.

Spending most of one's youth in a hospital and then a lifetime's worth of time focused on one person tended to do that to someone.

 _A party? That sounds like a lot of fun! Try to enjoy yourself, Homura-chan! And make some new friends before I get back, okay?_

She sighed as she glanced around the room. Despite the host's intentions, most of the guests were still huddled into groups separated by their respective factions.

She recognized Rias and Sona with their respective peerages, but she also noticed a young man with dark silver hair who was seemingly glaring at someone near Rias. Nearby, a woman with long, flowing hair and dressed in a maid outfit was watching the little sisters of the Satans like a hawk.

Rank-and-file members of all the factions flitted about, but all were very clearly keeping to themselves.

 _It appears the leaders have their work cut out for them if they truly wish for peace._

True peace could only be achieved with mutual cooperation, but how could that happen if none of the factions trusted each other?

As she ruminated on the situation, Homura froze as a wave of déjà vu swept over her.

 _This feeling . . . reminds me of my time stops!_

Sharply focused, she took in her surroundings and noticed that many of the guests were now frozen, barring a few exceptions.

Rias and a few of her group, along with that young man and maid she had seen earlier were all still moving.

Sona and her peerage, however, were all locked in time.

Worried voices began voicing their concerns, all echoing the same question: "What's going on?"

"This is a terrorist attack."

Azazel confidently strode into the room, followed by the rest of the leaders that had been attending the conference.

Confusion crossed a few faces when Madoka appeared, but the Governor General grabbed everyone's attention before anyone could question Her presence.

"If you doubt me, please turn your attention outside, where magicians are currently doing their best to bring down the protective barrier we've erected over this building."

Homura looked outside and was shocked at the sheer number of people part of the invading force.

 _So many! Why would they want to ruin our best chance for peace?!_

Someone asked about the time stop that they were experiencing.

"It is likely that they captured that half-vampire kid and used some sort of magic or Sacred Gear to force his Sacred Gear into a Balance Breaker state."

Cries of worry and alarm followed Azazel's declaration.

"I must ask you all to remain calm! We will work out a plan to resolve this situation – !"

The leader of the Grigori was interrupted as a particularly intense tremble shook the building, causing several members of the audience to wince.

Azazel, now sporting a dark expression, said, "Sirzechs-san . . . what I felt just now . . . you felt it too, right?"

Satan Lucifer nodded with a grim expression. "Yes, there was immense demonic power in those attacks we felt just now. Far more than what a normal Ultimate-Class Devil could achieve on their own." His eyes narrowed. "It seems the Old Satan Faction has come to pay us a visit."

Azazel nodded. "Judging by the number of magicians outside, they have allied themselves with the Khaos Brigade." He scowled. "I knew I should have acted against that suspicious group sooner."

As the other leaders questioned him about their opponents, Homura felt a wave of unease spread through her.

 _Is this . . . what war is like?_

She had spent countless decades fighting, but those had all been smaller skirmishes against inhuman opponents. Sometimes she had fought magical girl opponents, but that had grown rarer as her notoriety grew. Very rarely had she been forced to take a life, but she had loathed herself each time she did so.

 _Each time . . . I feared that I was disappointing Madoka._

She knew her gentle friend would never want anyone to die.

 _Not even those vile enough to stand in the way of the peace we all seek–!_

"Are you alright, Homura-chan?"

A concerned voice broke her out of her thoughts.

She looked up to find golden eyes watching her with concern, and a comforting hand resting on her shoulder.

"Ah – I'm fine . . . Madoka."

The goddess silently leaned closer to her as they watched the magicians outside throw everything they have against the barrier.

"Would you be mad? If I killed them," Homura asked in a low tone.

Madoka smiled sadly. "I wouldn't like it. I never will. But I can understand why you would do it."

Homura released her tension in one pent-up sigh. "Thank you, Madoka."

She turned away from the window and walked closer to the other leaders, arriving just in time to hear Azazel beginning to organize a response to the attack.

"Rias-san, I trust you will be able to rescue your Bishop with your plan?"

Rias nodded sharply. "It is my duty as a Gremory to keep all my servants safe!" She ran off towards the maid along with the rest of her peerage.

Azazel turned to the rest of the leaders. "Despite the fact that the barrier is powered by the strongest members of our factions, it will not withstand this barrage for much longer. Their raw energy levels are simply too high, and we do not have any barrier specialists that can bridge the gap." His eyes narrowed. "That means that we will need to go out and defeat them. But as soon as we leave, the barrier will drop, leaving the school open to attack."

Serafall spoke, clearly worried about the safety of her frozen sister. "Then what can we do? If we leave to fight, everyone in here will die!" Her face contorted in anguish. "But if we don't leave, their attacks will eventually break through and everyone in here will die anyway!"

"So, some of us need to be able to defend this building while the rest of us goes outside to deal with the enemy leaders," Sirzechs summed up. "Any suggestions?"

Several gazes turned towards Michael hopefully.

The angel blinked and shook his head sadly. "My protective magic is strong, but even I cannot set up a defense that will protect the whole school against a heavy assault from all directions for a lengthy period of time."

Crestfallen faces appeared as what appeared to be their best hope was shot down.

"Um . . . I think I can do it."

Surprised looks were quickly leveled against the nervous goddess that had spoken up.

"You? You have magic that can protect this whole building?" Sirzechs asked skeptically.

Madoka nodded. "I don't like using it . . . but for this occasion, I think it is important enough." she closed her eyes. "I will need a brief moment to prepare."

Azazel spoke urgently. "The barrier is almost out of time, so I would advise you to hurry."

A glowing magic circle appeared underneath Her feet. As Her eyes shot open, they flared with a brilliant light–!

A red shadow was cast, a vast blanket of crimson that consumed its surroundings before reaching further, encompassing the entire school. The interior of the school remained largely unchanged, except a red tint now pervaded the area.

A wave of dread crashed upon them, a suffocating pressure that quickly become muted an instant later.

Madoka sagged as eerie, unnaturally colored butterflies appeared and flitted around her.

Homura quickly rushed in to catch her before she collapsed from the exertion as the other leaders all looked around with various degrees of shock.

"Ah . . . what was that?" Serafall asked nervously.

"This is a witch's barrier," Homura replied neutrally, although she was fuming on the inside.

 _I know why you did it, Madoka. Why you called upon the thing you loathe the most: your witch form._

She wore a stoic expression as Madoka gazed at her with a weak smile before her eyes closed again.

 _That does nothing at all to quell my anger at the fact that you had to do so in the first place!_

With her surroundings dredging up unpleasant memories, she felt every last shred of remorse she might have felt for her soon-to-be opponents fade.

 _They will all burn. And they will die screaming._

"Is this . . . barrier . . . the result of her previous position?" Sirzechs asked without a hint of emotion.

"Something like that," Homura responded coolly.

"I had no idea that her burden was so great," Michael muttered with a concerned expression.

Azazel glanced around curiously before returning his gaze to Homura. "Tell us only what is necessary for us to know."

"The barrier will redirect any attacks that originate from outside it. However, enemies can still enter and attempt to destroy it from within, but there are . . . familiars in here that will aid us in repelling intruders."

"Is it possible for them to forcibly dispel it?"

Homura looked away. "The only way to do that is to kill the caster."

They all glanced at the goddess sleeping peacefully in Homura's arms.

"I trust that you will stay with Her, then?" Michael asked.

She nodded. "I will protect her and everyone else in this building."

Azazel nodded his head in acknowledgment. "We are counting on you, Akemi-san."

The other leaders and their subordinates flew off to confront the leaders of the attacking force, leaving Homura alone with Madoka.

She ran a hand through her long, pink hair, reveling in the feel of the silky strands under her palm

 _I will always be by your side._

And so, she sat there, a dutiful disciple attending to her goddess as she awaited the arrival of those who would do Her harm.

xxx

 _There is_ , Azazel thought, _nothing quite like what I've seen in this "barrier."_

As he and his companions made their way through the fortification the goddess had constructed, they saw many strange sights.

A variety of chairs, ranging from mundane to exquisite, lay scattered around haphazardly. Dim lamps hovered in the air, casting dark, ominous shadows. Paintings sat in various nooks and crannies, depicting disconcerting images and scenes.

Despite these grim aspects, vibrant gemstones occasionally appeared, shining like rays of hope in this otherwise unsettling locale.

But the most notable feature was the creatures that seemingly lived in the barrier.

"Whoa!"

Sparing a brief glance behind him, Azazel noticed Serafall narrowly dodging a white and pink blur that shot past.

"Just what are these things anyway?" she grumbled under her breath.

"Probably those 'familiars' that Akemi-san spoke of," he replied.

"I've seen many devils bind familiars, but none were quite so . . . exotic," Sirzechs commented.

 _And isn't that an understatement?_ Azazel thought.

The familiars (which had no business being animate beings) appeared to consist of flying pairs of scales with wings for arms and a red spear hanging down the middle. Pink ribbons fluttered behind them as they flew, creating a stark contrast against the dreary environment they existed in.

When the group had first encountered them, they were understandably wary of the strange creatures. After the creatures proved to be non-hostile, they were simply a mild annoyance that the group had to take care to avoid colliding with.

Another issue the leaders had initially been concerned with was being able to find their way outside ("This place is like a labyrinth!" Serafall had complained), but black-speckled purple lines on the floor ran through the barrier, flowing in a direction that his intuition told him was the way out.

The others had been skeptical of his claim until several familiars appeared and lined up to point their spearheads in the same direction as the lines.

No one had doubted his idea after that.

Now, they were flying at top-speed through the barrier, but the constant twists and turns made the trip much longer.

The interior of the space was much larger than it should be, which wasn't helping matters either (some kind of spatial distortion? He made a note to ask about it later).

Azazel slowed down until his flight kept him level with Michael, who had remained quiet for most of the journey.

"Something on your mind, Michael-kun? Your new goddess not quite as pure as you had hoped?"

The angel shook his head. "No, it's not that. In fact, it's probably for the best that She has experience with the . . . darker side of the world."

His eyes became downcast. "A leader is one who is burdened with the task of making the difficult decisions. Something I know all too well." He looked away for a moment. "They cannot be idealistic or naïve, lest they lead their people to ruin."

Azazel nodded. "It's certainly a pervasive fear. Don't worry about it too much, or you'll never get to sleep at night." He tilted his head. "Then again, you don't have to worry about it as much now, eh? So why so gloomy?"

Michael sighed. "Every day, I wonder if I made the right decisions. I know that I should not fault Madoka-sama for Her . . . nature, but I cannot help but find it disquieting. I know that She said that it was Her duty to relieve others of their despair, but if this . . . barrier . . . is any indication, then the process does not have an outlet for the grief She has accumulated. Each burden She shoulders becomes another weight on Her soul, yet She will continue to fight the endless battle against despair even as humanity's negativity threatens to drown Her. Given enough time, I fear that it will be too much, and She will become . . ."

"A goddess of despair," Azazel finished.

Michael slowly nodded. "After all, isn't despair simply the absence of hope? And what hope wouldn't wither and vanish under such an unending onslaught?"

Azazel looked at him thoughtfully. "If you have any concerns, I would advise that you talk to Her about them." He smiled. "She doesn't seem like the type who would refuse you."

"Yes . . . I suppose not," Michael said.

They lapsed into silence once more.

"Hey! I think I see an opening up ahead!"

Both leaders reflexively scanned the area ahead of them in response to Serafall's cry.

"Well, looks like the lines do lead out after all," Azazel said.

The others did not respond, but simply pressed on with renewed vigor.

Azazel doggedly followed, even as he smirked internally.

 _They just don't want to admit that I was right._

xxx

Rizevim Lucifer was irritated.

He let out a tired sigh as his compatriots continued to eagerly throw orbs of demonic energy at the barrier enveloping the school building.

 _High on Ophis's snakes, they can only think about the next rush of power filling their veins at this point._

A devil was many things, but a servant was not one of them.

 _A devil is one who controls power; he does not allow power to control him._

Sadly, his companions did not aspire to his lofty ideals.

He had little interest in disrupting this "peace conference" being held by the Three Factions. There was much bigger fish to fry, after all.

 _To think that the Apocalypse Beast exists! The amount of chaos and suffering it would bring when it awakens . . . I am shivering in anticipation!_

The Apocalypse would be his grand achievement, and he will be immortalized forever as its harbinger.

 _But my dimwitted companions cannot seem to look past their grudges to see what is truly worth working for!_

Katerea had concocted a hare-brained scheme to assassinate the leaders of all Three Factions in one of their own territories, during a time where they would be most on guard.

 _The worst thing is that the others approved of her plan! And she had even wanted to go alone!_

Ophis's snake was a great boon, to be sure, but even that would only go so far against the powerhouses leading the factions.

 _Arrogance or not, confronting them by herself is the height of foolishness._

And because letting one of his colleagues go off to get herself killed would put a damper on their resources, he had decided to make this a joint operation.

Katerea had initially objected, but Creuserey and Shalba jumped at the opportunity to settle their own grudges against the current Satans.

 _They were so busy fantasizing about killing those holding their namesake positions that they didn't even notice me set up our escape route._

Having a plethora of magicians, especially those talented in the creation of teleportation circles, at one's beck-and-call came in handy at times.

 _Although, if they knew of my preparations, they would likely be quite displeased._

He knew that if it were up to the others, they wouldn't even dream of retreat. After all, they were the "True Satans." It would be beneath them to run away from those inferior to them.

 _Of course, they would probably be far more vivid in their description of how great they are and far more slanderous about how lowly the usurpers are._

He had no illusions about being able to end the leaders of the Three Factions. With the kind of firepower they brought, they could perhaps kill one or two. All of them?

Not a chance.

 _That doesn't even account for the other noteworthy figures that may be present._

It was highly likely that the current Lucifer had brought his wife, the Strongest Queen.

 _And I've been hearing some concerning rumors about Heaven as well._

Hopefully, he would be able to validate them during the battle, if at all possible.

 _We will do what damage we can, and then we will retreat. Forcibly, if need be._

If it were up to him, they would not be there at all. But sadly, he had to indulge his reckless comrades at times.

"Huh? What's that?!"

A cry of alarm brings Rizevim out of his musing, just in time to witness a startling sight.

Where the school building and much of the surrounding area had once resided, a great distortion in the world was now present. A sinister, red and black dome that shook and twisted under the assault of their forces.

But all of that paled in comparison to the aura that the strange phenomenon gave off.

 _Wrongness._

Anger, hatred, fear . . . it was like a buffet of negative emotions.

 _In all my life, I have never felt something so wicked!_

How depraved must a devil be, to create such a vile construct? And it must be a devil that was responsible, for neither of the other factions would _dream_ of using such unholy magic!

 _I must congratulate whichever of the Satans is responsible. Right before I torture them for the secret to the technique, of course._

The things he could do with it, the chaos he could spread . . . he felt himself shaking from excitement.

 **Whoosh!**

His brows furrowed in annoyance as he watched his companions continue to throw orbs of demonic energy at the barrier, only for them to be swallowed up without a trace.

"I would save my energy if I were you," he said.

Katerea scowled at him. "What need have we of conserving power when we have Ophis's blessing running through our veins?" She laughed as she prepared another shot. "Strange barrier or not, they will soon be crushed by our power!"

Rizevim rolled his eyes. "Because we're about to have guests, and it would be remiss of us to not give them our full attention." He pointed to the figures flying through the sky, quickly closing in on them.

As he watched, one flew closer to another for a moment, and then the latter turned away, heading towards an area where magicians were concentrated.

 _Wings of silver? It was a mistake to let that one out of your sight, Azazel._

The Governor General would learn of his folly soon enough. As his gaze swept across the other figures, he felt a frown build.

 _Sirzechs, Serafall, Michael, and Azazel. I know the other two Satans are back in the Underworld. But if that's the case . . ._

His eyes drifted back towards the barrier.

 _Who is maintaining it?_

He doubted that such a powerful spell could be kept intact without constant input from the caster. And for a spell of that magnitude, the person behind it must be at least Satan-class.

 _I will have to leave that matter for later. For now, we must be prepared to receive our guests as proper hosts._

The atmosphere thickened with bloodlust as his compatriots noticed the approaching figures.

"So, they have come! And in one nice, tidy group too!" Creuserey laughed, mania tainting his voice. "We will destroy them all, and history will mark this day as the one where we became the Kings of this World!"

As the other two joined in with similar sentiments, Rizevim sighed yet again.

 _At least, this excursion turned out to be quite fruitful._

He spared one last glance for the sickening anomaly tainting the world.

A grin stretched across his face, a promise of despair for those residing in this world.

 _Very fruitful indeed._

xxx

The first group that she encountered fell with little resistance.

Still disoriented by their strange surroundings, the magicians were unable to protect themselves from the barrage of arrows that appeared out of thin air and sliced through their ranks with ease.

After briefly checking to ensure that there were no survivors, Homura rushed back into the depths of the labyrinth.

While the magicians seemed to struggle to find their path through the barrier, she was able to traverse it with little effort. It was as if the barrier shifted and changed to accommodate her and put her on the shortest route towards her next target.

It was not long before she came across the next group.

"Keep yourselves together! We have orders to destroy whatever is causing this barrier, so no matter how freaky it is, you're just going to have to deal with it!"

Homura felt her blood pound in her ears as they openly declared their intent to harm the one she held dear.

 _I won't give any of you the chance!_

Her bow stretched out, an elegant beast ready to pounce and unleash its fury on unsuspecting foes . . .

"Wait, there's someone there! Shields up, now!"

Homura cursed as the leader of the magicians detected her and rallied his troops.

"There she is! Don't let her get away!"

Bolts of magic from several different disciplines flew out towards her, forcing her to devote her concentration to dodging.

As she warped short distances to throw off their aim, she fired off several shots in return, only for them to be blocked by magic shields.

 _My normal projectiles aren't strong enough to pierce them, but I don't want to risk using holy fire inside the barrier!_

A witch's barrier was intimately tied to the witch residing in it. Only in this instance, Madoka was the one sustaining the labyrinth.

She didn't know how holy fire would react with something as vile as a witch's barrier, but she was unwilling to take the chance that it would hurt Her through Her connection with the barrier.

 _But if I don't take them out, they might find Her anyway!_

As Homura was being confronted with the reality that she would be forced to utilize her Sacred Gear, the faint sound of a **whoosh** reached her ears . . .

A meaty **THUMP** soon followed.

"What . . . what are these things?!"

Homura quickly took advantage of the distraction and rapidly fired arrows at the chaos unfolding before her.

 _So, the familiars finally show up._

White and blue blurs chased after panicked magicians, attempting to slam the scales hanging off their limbs into the invaders' heads. Many were incapacitated in this manner, while others soon fell before Homura's onslaught.

"Form up! Form up, damn you – gurk!"

The leader of the group fell, and the others soon followed.

As Homura moved closer to inspect the fallen foes, she noticed the familiars beginning to act strangely.

One landed on a magician and balanced itself precariously as its balance begins swaying to-and-fro. Eventually, it lurched in one direction, then gathered itself and lifted off to hover above its target.

Its spear pointed downwards, the blood-red tip glowing sinisterly in the barrier's magical lighting.

It thrust down, homing unerringly on the magician's throat.

A shower of blood sprayed out, soiling the creature's white wings.

Homura watched, eyes wide and frozen in shock.

 _Mado . . .ka . . . ?_

She found it difficult to breathe, as if her heart were lodged in her throat. She didn't want to turn her gaze downward, but she forced herself to do so anyway.

 _I must know._

To know if she had carved another scar in her friend's heart, if her weakness had forced Her to take a life for her sake.

She felt as if an eternity had passed in the time it took for her gaze to travel down to the magician's neck. She expected to see a pool of rapidly cooling blood, a face already paling as the last remnants of life fled from it.

Instead, all she saw was a minor cut on one side of the magician's neck. The man's chest continued to rise and fall, a steady beat that fueled his body with life. The point of the spear rested nearby, scant centimeters away from inflicting a lethal blow as if some unseen force had diverted it at the last moment.

Her gaze suddenly grew blurry, and as she blinked, she felt the cool splash of water on her hand.

 _I'm crying._

She was not sure when it had happened. Was it when dread had filled her body, and visions of Madoka's sad visage flashed through her mind?

Or was it when relief had flooded through her, and she realized that her weakness had not forced her friend to stain her pure white gloves with blood yet again for her sake?

 _Keep it together. It's not over yet._

Her eyes sought out the other familiars and noticed similar scenes playing out. Numbly, she noticed that some of the familiars lurched in the opposite direction and those that did instead bound their victims up in ribbons and began carting them off.

For many others, she saw them beginning to topple towards the direction that would lead to their victims' demise –

Only for them to abruptly move in the other direction as if someone had shoved them.

Seemingly content with the new judgment, they bundled their targets up with ribbons and began following their kin in a bizarre procession.

Once the last of the magicians had been dealt with, Homura turned away.

The memory of a select few suddenly changing on which side they fell flashed through her mind.

 _You are as kind as ever, Madoka._

Homura took off in a sprint, a blazing fire ignited in her eyes.

 _I will deal with this threat so that you do not have to sully your hands with their blood._

xxx

There were many things in the world that still baffled Azazel. The Sacred Gear system created by the God of the Bible was one that he had devoted his life to unraveling. Many mythological beasts were conundrums that seemingly defied the very laws of the world with their existence. Yet another mystery that had piqued his interest was the anomaly that was currently guarding the school (he certainly hoped that he would be able to take a closer look afterward).

But the puzzle that he doubted that he would ever solve was the tendency for villains to monologue before a battle.

"Today will be the end for you, vile usurpers! You and your lowly allies! We will destroy this world and build it anew in our image, as is our right as descendants of the original Satans!" Creuserey ranted.

Sirzechs gazed at the Old Satan Faction neutrally. "You would stand against the might of the Three Factions combined? I will only give you this one chance to surrender."

"Surrender? Nonsense! With the backing of the Khaos Brigade and the dragon god Ophis, we are plenty capable of ending all of you right here!" Katerea said.

"You don't have to do this, Katerea-chan! If you stop now, we can still be friends . . ." Serafall said.

As Katerea's face contorted in rage from Serafall's outrageous suggestion, Shalba cut in, "We will not associate ourselves with the likes of you! No true devil would even dream of consorting with our sworn enemies!"

Michael sighed. "If you cannot let go of your hate and prejudice, then we will have no choice but to stop you all here."

Azazel glanced at the one Satan who had not spoken, the descendant of the original Lucifer.

Rizevim caught his gaze and reciprocated with a sharp smirk. "As pompous as my companions are, I admit that it would be much more convenient if the leaders of the Three Factions . . . ceased to be a factor in my plans."

Azazel grinned. "How arrogant of you, to think that your group can take all of us on at the same time." He turned to the other members of the Old Satan Faction. "Kings of the world? Rightful heirs? Please, you all just sound like a bunch of cliché villains. I have seen far too many of your ilk during my lifetime. And do you know what generally happens to people like you after your conceited speeches? Let me tell you . . ."

He unfurled his twelve wings, their pitch-black feathers swallowing the light like an endless void.

" _They die horribly._ "

Katerea growled in response to Azazel's taunts. "Why you . . . !" She stepped forward, body tense as she prepared to rush at the target of her rage.

Rizevim quickly stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Now, now, don't let the lowly fallen angel get to you. After all, it's just the inane mutterings of creatures beneath us. It would not suit those of our position to deign to pay attention to those inferior to us."

His words were calm and calculated, delivered in a cool tone that left it ambiguous as to whether he believed in his own words.

However, none could dispute the effect his words had on his compatriots. Katerea and the other two visibly agitated Satans all relaxed as they took his words to heart.

"Right," Shalba said. "We should act with the decorum befitting true rulers and deal with these worms quickly."

A blast of demonic energy surged forward, and the battle between the old and the new was underway.

 _Well,_ Azazel thought. _So much for the classic plan of "provoke the villains into making mistakes."_

He caught one last glance of Old Satan Lucifer's smug face before a cloud of dust obscured his vision.

 _We'll have to be careful around that one._

xxx

While Sirzechs usually dealt with relentless enemies by simply destroying them, he was also smart enough to know when to respect them.

 _A leader cannot afford to be careless._

And the easiest way to make a trivial mistake was to underestimate one's opponents.

 _While I couldn't care less about their tyrannical ideas, I will acknowledge their strength._

The leaders of the Old Satan Faction were all Ultimate-Class Devils, but their demonic energy levels seemed much higher than usual.

 _Not only that, but they are far better at coordinating with each other than we are._

Individually, he was confident that he could take any one of them on. With Serafall as a partner, whom he had fought alongside during their civil war, they could likely fight and defeat two of their opponents at once.

Add in a fallen angel and an archangel that he was much more accustomed to working around instead of with against all four of the Old Satans?

He was not nearly as certain of their odds in that case.

"Watch it, Azazel-chan!"

"Sorry, sorry!"

Sirzechs grimaced as the fight went on. Serafall fought in a highly chaotic manner, flying around the battlefield at high speeds and strafing her opponents with her ice magic to pin them down.

Azazel had manifested his artificial Sacred Gear [Downfall Dragon Spear], causing his attacks to create huge shockwaves that could catch several opponents at once.

Unfortunately, the possibility of friendly fire was ever prevalent. And while Sirzechs has had plenty of time to become accustomed to Serafall's habits and flight patterns, Azazel was not nearly as learned.

This resulted in a few close calls (such as the one he had just witnessed).

On the other hand, Michael fought in a methodical manner, moving only as much as needed to dodge incoming attacks and throwing light spears when they had a good chance to strike the target.

Similarly, Sirzechs fought with great precision, condensing his Power of Destruction into tiny spheres that he moved around the battlefield at will, intercepting enemy attacks and hounding his opponents where he could.

 _Clearly not enough, if they are still able to elude us,_ he thought darkly.

Jump back to avoid the incoming blast. Dash left to pre-emptively avoid Azazel's next attack. Intercept the blasts aimed at Serafall with the nearest orb. Distract the Old Satan near Michael with the rest to try to create an opening –!

 **Shtick!**

Katerea hissed as she fell back, a gash on her arm still sizzling from the light spear that had almost taken her life.

"You need to be more careful, Katerea-chan," Rizevim said in a languid manner. "Why, if we hadn't been here, then you would be dead right now!"

"Enough!" she growled. "Let's just finish this quickly."

Her arms twisted as they changed into monstrous tentacles, shooting out to ensnare the nearest foe.

Michael grunted as he was rooted, the tendrils' surprising speed allowing them to catch him off-guard.

"This is the end, angel scum!" Creuserey shouted as he prepared to finish off the archangel.

A crackling orb of demonic energy hurtled towards Michael –!

 **Splat!**

Katerea screamed as parts of the tentacles entrapping the angel were _obliterated_ , giving Michael a scant few moments to move.

 _He won't make it in time!_ Sirzechs thought with trepidation.

A shockwave blew past, the aftershocks knocking the angel away from the potentially lethal attack.

"Don't go and die on us now!" Azazel flew by with a grin.

"Stop chatting and come help me!" Serafall said as she did her best to pin the rest of the Old Satans down.

Sirzechs let out a brief sigh.

 _Already, our teamwork has greatly improved since the beginning of this fight. Adaptability is necessary to flourish in this new era._

He narrowed his eyes at his opponents.

 _A pity that they cannot seem to realize this._

If they insisted on standing in the way of a new order, then he will not hesitate to eliminate them.

 _Some may call me ruthless. But I am simply doing what must be done._

With that in mind, he leaped back into the fray.

xxx

The first thing that went wrong was when Katerea nearly died from a light spear.

Everything just went downhill from there.

 _Well,_ Rizevim thought, _I did not expect anything less._

It would have been nice if they had been able to take down at least _one_ of the opposing leaders, but he deemed it insignificant in the end.

After all, what he planned to unleash on the world . . . no number of leaders would be able to fend it off.

In fact, it may be more enjoyable for more resistance to be present at the moment of his great triumph.

 _The brighter the light, the more satisfying it will be to snuff it out._

To watch as the guiding light in their eyes flickered and faded away as they finally realized the futility of their struggles.

 _But first, we must escape with our lives._

"Damn you, devils! How dare you defy the will of the true rulers of the Underworld!" Shalba said with a growl.

The descendant of Beelzebub was panting heavily, minor injuries dotting his body. Blood trickled down his face from a light spear that had grazed his face, and several gashes lined his torso.

Creuserey fared little better, one arm encased in ice and severe burns covering the rest of his body.

Katerea had the most severe injuries, losing an arm after the tentacles it had been turned into were annihilated by Sirzechs' Power of Destruction.

He was the most well off out of all of them, sporting only minor injuries.

 _But that will change very soon unless we leave_ right now.

He was not blind. He had seen how the leaders of the Three Factions had quickly grown from "a bunch of individuals that happened to be fighting for the same reason in the same place" to "a coordinated team that functioned like a well-oiled machine."

Flexibility, versatility, and power. They had it all.

 _It's little wonder that my companions lost the civil war._

Sirzechs gazed at them impassively. "I know that I said that I would only give you one chance to surrender, but if you lay down your arms now, I will spare your lives."

Katerea glared back and spoke with a voice filled with malice. "Never! Not to the likes of you!"

She began laughing, the maniacal of one whose sanity was very close to snapping.

 _Oh dear. I do hope that she isn't contemplating using that self-destruct spell._

Not only would it leave quite a mess, but it would render his preparations meaningless.

Which would be quite a shame.

"Well, we've had our fun, but we really must end things now, shouldn't we?" he said.

The leaders of the Three Factions looked at him warily, while his allies gazed at him with a look of anticipation.

He flared his power, the might of a Super Devil that was rivaled only by two others. With Ophis's snake backing him, no devil's presence could outstrip his own.

He saw his enemies' eyes widen as they fell back and braced themselves. Besides him, he felt his companions charge up the remainder of their energies for one final attack.

 _A wasted effort._

He felt his energy peak, and at that moment of climax –!

 _Teleport!_

A loud explosion cratered the earth.

When the dust finally cleared, there was no trace of the Old Satan Faction.

xxx

When Madoka came to, the first thing she saw was a pair of violet eyes staring intensely at her.

"It's over, Madoka," Homura said, smiling gently.

Madoka smiled back. "I'm glad."

Manifesting the witch's barrier had taken a larger toll than expected but manipulating the labyrinth subconsciously had not been too difficult, aside from a few close calls with her familiars acting up.

 _That had been too close . . ._

A split second later and she would have had more blood on her hands.

 _But am I only delaying the inevitable?_

The world she inhabited now was rife with conflict, and not all of them could be resolved peacefully. The attack today had made that abundantly clear.

 _If some people can't be reasoned with, then . . ._

Then they would have to be stopped. Before they hurt any others.

 _I will try . . . I will try not to kill. I hate the very thought of it._

But if there was no other option, then she would do it.

She already did it once, after all.

 _I am no longer an innocent, naïve girl. And it's not fair to Homura-chan, forcing her to shoulder the burden of making decisions that I don't want to make._

She had done enough for her already. It was time to start paying back.

 _No matter how long it takes._

"Feeling too comfortable, Madoka?"

She blinked rapidly, confused.

All of a sudden, she realized the position she was in.

Laying down on a couch, her head in Homura's lap, while a hand gently stroked her long pink hair.

It felt very nice.

Madoka blushed. "Just a bit," she murmured. A teasing glint entered her eyes. "You seem quite relaxed too, Homura-chan!"

Homura flushed. "I merely wanted to ensure your comfort. That I benefited in the process is simply a bonus."

"Don't be like that, Homura-chan! Your happiness is important too, you know."

Homura remained silent. Eventually, she spoke. "The others are waiting for us. We should not tarry much longer."

Madoka sighed. "Yes, yes."

They got up, straightened themselves out, and proceeded to walk out the school building.

When they arrived outside, they could see that clean-up had already begun, the corpses of the dead being carried off. The magicians that Madoka had captured were being carted off to secure facilities as well.

"And she has awakened! Had a nice nap, Madoka-sama?"

Azazel greeted them with a grin. Despite the various small injuries he had picked up during the battle, his composure remained unruffled and his spirit unfaltering.

"I'm afraid that I feel more tired than I did before I fell asleep, Azazel-san," she replied.

He laughed. "Unsurprising, considering that you had your hands full repelling the intruders _and_ the bombardment."

"I had help," she said, gesturing to Homura.

Azazel gave her a nod. "Indeed, you did. Fine work, Akemi-san. I don't think a single one of these magicians made it to the school."

Homura stoically nodded in response. "Thank you."

"I am glad to see that you are well, Madoka-sama."

Michael approached their group. Despite his bedraggled appearance, the archangel still exuded an aura of peace and tranquility. However, his posture was ever so off, as if something was troubling him.

"And you as well, Michael-kun!" She tilted Her head. "Is something the matter?"

Michael paused. "It can wait until later."

She nodded in understanding.

"Ah, Madoka-sama! You really must teach me your secret technique!"

Serafall bounced over, followed closely by an exasperated Sirzechs.

She skidded to a stop in front of Madoka, then leaned forward. "That barrier you made was so cool! The inside felt kind of strange and freaky at times, but it was really interesting! Can you teach me how to make something like that? Is it some kind of super-secret magical girl technique?"

Madoka lightly chuckled at Serafall's antics. "I'm glad to hear that you were not too . . . disturbed by it." She smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, it is not something that can be taught."

Serafall visibly deflated at the news. "Aww . . ."

Sirzechs cleared his throat. "Putting that aside . . . we should ensure that everyone is up-to-date."

Madoka blinked. "Right! What happened on your end of things?"

"We managed to drive off the leaders of the Old Satan Faction after extended combat. We suffered only mild injuries while inflicting more grievous wounds on our foes, but no one was killed in the end." He glanced off to the side as a hint of pride showed in his face. "My younger sister succeeded in rescuing her Bishop while dispatching any enemies she encountered without any trouble."

Madoka sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."

"Unfortunately, I have some worrisome news. Vali seems to have disappeared," Azazel said.

"Vali? You mean the White Dragon Emperor?" Michael asked.

"The very same."

Sirzechs frowned. "Did you not bring him with you to the conference? I distinctly recall you ordering him to help take down some of the magicians."

"Yes, but he has not returned. I'm beginning to wonder if he has been captured by the enemy."

A hint of worry marred Azazel's otherwise flawless mask of confidence. Any parent would worry about the wellbeing of their child, and even if Vali had been adopted, Azazel still treated him as he would his own.

"We will be sure to keep an eye out for his whereabouts," Sirzechs promised. "For now, we must conclude this conference properly."

Azazel grimaced but quickly smoothened out his composure. "Right . . . let's finish this."

They walked closer to the mass of the now unfrozen rank-and-file members of the Three Factions. The constant bustle as they carried out their duties allowed the leaders to approach unnoticed until Sirzechs cleared his throat to get their attention.

Faces turned, wings slowed, and hands stilled as everyone waited in anticipation for the result of the conference.

To continue the cycle of hate as bitter enemies, or to break out in search of a fragile peace.

Sirzechs spoke, a loud, powerful voice that brooked no argument. "After much deliberation, we have concluded that it would be best in all our interests to make peace. This conflict has gone on for too long without any true purpose, and we have all only suffered because of it. Working together, we can achieve so much more than we would be able to if we kept on tearing each other down."

He closed his eyes as he let his words sink in. "The Satans have made our decision. No devil is to come into conflict with a member of Heaven or the Grigori without proper justification. Any devil that breaches this rule will be punished severely. You have been warned."

The devils cheered for their leader as he stepped back, and Azazel stepped forward in his place. "As Sirzechs has said, we are now at peace. No fallen angel is to fight with Heaven or devils from now on." His eyes scanned the crowd. "Anyone dissatisfied with my choice may leave. However . . ." His eyes narrowed. "I will kill you without hesitation next time we meet. Only those that make the same choice can follow me."

The fallen angel troops roared their loyalty as the Governor General stepped back.

Even though they had not planned this beforehand, Madoka knew exactly what to do. She stepped forward, and the crowd hushed as they noticed Her presence.

"Hello," she said. "It's nice to meet you all! The angels already know me, but for those of you seeing me for the first time today, my name is Madoka." She smiled. "I am the new goddess and leader of Heaven, and I was the one who protected the school and those trapped in it from attack while the other leaders led the offense."

A brief silence fell over the crowd as many were caught by surprise and shock. A wave of murmurs and whispers quickly followed as they began wildly speculating.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what my presence here means," she continued. "So, I'll tell you the truth." she paused.

"God is dead. and He has been for a long time now."

The murmuring by the fallen angels and devils grew louder, but they quieted as soon as She began speaking again.

"Some of you may remember with Him with bitterness, an uncaring father that cast you out the instant you did not meet His standards. Some of you may remember Him with hatred, a relentless enemy that sought to destroy all that you loved. Some of you may remember Him with fondness, a patient guardian that never faltered in His duties."

She paused and took a deep breath. "I did not know Him, and I never will. But I have inherited His legacy all the same. And it is that last trait that I seek to carry on, that of a caretaker and nurturer."

She closed her eyes. "But I do not intend to fill that role for merely some of you. No . . ." Her eyes opened, an unbreakable resolve shining through. "It is my hope that you will _all_ remember me as the kind goddess who strived to better the lives of everyone, regardless of faction or race."

She smiled, radiating a warm glow that could soothe any worry.

The moment passed, and she turned and stepped away, leaving a stunned crowd in her wake.

Soon, some of the angels began cheering, and a few of the fallen angels and devils joined in as well.

 _I don't have the loyalty of as many of them as the others do . . ._

She recalled the massive response Sirzechs and Azazel had been able to generate in their subordinates.

 _But my words managed to reach people from each faction._

White, black, and leathery wings all raised together in praise for Her.

 _And that's good enough for me._

Sirzechs approached her with an impressed expression. "An impressive speech, Madoka-sama. I did not know that you were so skilled at improvisation."

Madoka gave a small laugh. "I did not either, until a moment ago."

"I'm quite amazed that you managed to get some of my hard-headed subordinates to cheer for you, Madoka-sama," Azazel said with an easy grin.

"I just did what I felt was natural."

Sirzechs cleared his throat. "There was another matter that I wished to discuss regarding the peace treaty." He looked at them seriously. "After some discussion with Serafall, we concluded that since both Heaven and the Grigori were contributing 'peace offerings,' then we should do so as well."

"Oh? And just what did you come up with?" Azazel asked curiously.

"Before I answer that, there is a question I must ask." He turned to Madoka. "Do you think that you will ever be able to . . . create angels as He did?"

She blinked in surprise. "Um . . ." She furrowed Her brows in thought. "Even if I could . . . I don't know if I would want to."

The idea of creating another sentient being scared her. After all, what would happen if she made a mistake?

 _Their life would be ruined, and it would be all my fault._

And she would have to design the person's character, personality, and other traits as well. None of which were aspects that she felt anyone should have such absolute control over.

No, she could not entrust herself with such a heavy task.

She shook her head. "No, even if I could . . . I wouldn't do it."

Sirzechs nodded in understanding. "In that case, I would like to propose an alternative. I can ask my colleague, Ajuka, to design a system similar to that of the Evil Pieces system to reincarnate humans into angels."

Madoka blinked. "That would be . . . wonderful!"

Such a solution would address the issue of the flagging angel population without requiring her to delve into domains that did not suit her.

The Satan nodded. "In addition, with more angels, there would be more candidates for the Grigori to . . . recruit." He looked at Azazel meaningfully.

The Governor General laughed. "How considerate of you, Sirzechs-san!" He turned towards Madoka. "Would you have a problem with that, Madoka-sama?"

She shook her head. "No, I will not discriminate like that. Any angel that wishes to join the Grigori is free to do so."

Azazel clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Now that that is in order, we should finish signing the treaty, yes?"

As the rest of the leaders nodded in accord, they proceeded back into the school to finalize the agreement.

On that day, the Kuoh Treaty was signed.

From then on, the fate of the world was changed forever.

xxx

"The others are not pleased with that stunt you pulled."

"They need not be pleased with my decision. They need only realize that we were outmatched and that staying any longer would only result in all our untimely demises."

The Old Satan Faction had retreated to one of their many hideouts after the failed attack on the peace conference. Rizevim had been focused on planning his next move when Katerea had suddenly confronted him.

She scowled at him. "If you had unleashed your full might on them, we would have been able to wipe them out!"

"You seem to be forgetting that they had a Super Devil of their own. The archangel and the Governor General were no slouches either."

She grimaced and glanced away, clutching at the stump where her arm used to be.

He spoke casually. "And how is your . . . regretful loss of limb?"

"I'll deal with it," she replied tersely. She turned her gaze back to him. "I'll admit that . . . perhaps we were too hasty. We should have prepared every advantage possible. The traitors are a disgrace to our kind, but they are rather . . . resilient."

 _Oh?_ he thought. _It appears that she is learning._

While an intriguing development, it was quite bothersome. Now, he would have to dispose of her sooner, before she caught on and realized that he did not truly support the ideals of the Old Satan Faction.

 _It is rather troublesome when one's pawn begins to move by itself._

No matter. He would just need to give her an appropriate assignment. One that would advance his agenda while ensuring that she did not return.

 _Devils are cruel, wicked beings. We kill on a whim, for no reason other than that we did not like that person._

 _Whoever said that other devils could not draw our ire?_

Out loud, he said, "I am pleased to hear that you understand my point of view."

She nodded. "However, the others won't simply accept that this was a retreat." Her eyes gained a calculating glint. "Unless you frame it as a stepping stone, one that will make way for a much bigger invasion in the future."

 _And she shows that she can manipulate others! She would have been such a promising devil if her days were not numbered._

"What a brilliant suggestion! I shall definitely take it into consideration. Now, will that be all?"

"One more thing," she said. "The White Dragon Emperor dropped by to give his report."

He raised an eyebrow. _So, my worthless grandson may have some value after all._

"The report contained some very . . . concerning information regarding Heaven. I think you should take a look at it."

Her piece said, she laid down the report and walked away.

Idly, he picked up the piece of paper. As he scanned through it, his eyebrows rose and rose, until they almost disappeared into his hairline.

 _The dome was created by the new leader of Heaven. And a new deity at that!_

The report was sparse, unsurprising if Vali had not been privy to the actual meeting of the leaders. But what he had . . . was enough.

Rizevim carefully folded the paper and tucked it away safely.

 _I really must do something nice for that boy._

Of course, his definition of "nice" was quite . . . different from the norm.

 _Every child should learn to respect their elders, should they not? In that respect, Vali has been a very bad boy. He should be grateful that I am willing to forgive him!_

He laughed darkly, dreaming of the cruel tortures he had planned to inflict on his grandson. Plans that will never come to fruition now that he had a much better task before him.

 _It's quite ironic, really._

To think that Heaven's new goddess would have such a dark side.

 _I will enjoy pulling her down from her throne!_

He spent the rest of the night mesmerized, dreaming of a goddess's fall and a world plunged into chaos.


	8. For the world we're gonna make

"Madoka-sama? A word, if you will."

Madoka looked up to see Michael watching her with a grave expression from the entrance. She stood up from where she had sat tinkering with the Holy System of Heaven to divine its secrets to no success thus far. "Is something the matter, Michael-kun?"

"It is simply something that has been troubling me as of late." He glanced past her towards the Holy System. "Pardon the interruption."

"No, no, it's fine." She stepped closer to him. "What is it?"

"At the peace conference, you mentioned how it was your duty to shoulder the despair of others so that they did not have to, correct?"

"Yes, I did." She tilted her head. "What of it?"

"And when you deployed that strange barrier to protect the school building, it . . . well, to put it mildly, it _reeked_ of despair."

The goddess flinched. "Did it? I never noticed; I'm sorry you had to put up with that. I hope the other faction leaders weren't too offended either –"

"I doubt that they noticed. My fallen brethren and the devils are much less sensitive to negative emotions than we are, but that is not my concern, Madoka-sama." His gaze bore into her. "My concern is: you take despair away from others, but who takes despair away from _you_?"

She smiled at him.

"No one."

"But that's –"

She cut him off. "If I allowed someone else to share my burden, then I would not be doing my duty properly."

Michael sighed. "I apologize if I am being too forward, but I am worried. If there is no one to ease your burden, and the weight you carry only continues to grow . . ."

"You fear that it will become too much for me to bear?"

He nodded.

Madoka gave a small smile. "I appreciate your concern, but you needn't worry." She looked at her hands. "I am an existence whose purpose is to erase despair. As the goddess of hope, I will not despair. I _cannot_ despair." Her golden eyes stared intensely at him. "Does that satisfy you?"

He hesitated. "I'm sorry to doubt you like this Madoka-sama . . . but you are not telling me the whole truth, are you?"

She gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I should have known better than to try to pull one over you, Michael-kun." She sighed. "I was not lying when I said that I cannot despair. But . . . that only applies to the here and now. My ability to resist despair is part of my power, you see. And it is possible to seal away or even steal a goddess's power." A sad smile. "So, if I were ever to lose my power . . . or just _that_ power in particular . . . well, I would be no different than a normal girl when it comes to withstanding despair. And if a single human's worth of despair is enough to drive them to suicide . . ."

Michael sucked in a breath as he realized what she was saying.

"I see . . ." he said. "Thank you for indulging me, Madoka-sama."

She waved indifferently. "It was no trouble at all."

He nodded. "You have given me much to think about." His face became tinted with sadness. "I don't suppose I could convince you to remain in Heaven for your own safety?"

The goddess shook her head. "Do you remember what I said at the end of the peace conference? About carrying on God's legacy of being a caretaker, a nurturer, a parent?"

"Of course."

"Then you know that I cannot stay in Heaven forever. What kind of parent raises their child from afar? A parent must be close by to catch their child when they fall, to scold them when they err, and to praise them when they succeed. But a parent's most important duty . . ."

Golden eyes stared straight into him, an iron will that could bear the weight of the world on its shoulders.

"Is to protect their child from any and all harm." She smiled at him sadly. "And I cannot do that if I remain cooped up in Heaven, no?"

Michael's eyes were wide open, his face tinted with wonder at the goddess's speech. Slowly, he bowed. "I understand, Madoka-sama. All I ask is that you be careful."

"Rest assured that I do not intend to be a careless parent."

"Then I will be taking my leave, my Goddess."

After exchanging their farewells, the doors to the room closed once more.

Turning back to her pet project, the goddess resumed her work.

"Now, what was I doing?"

A few wrong buttons pressed and one particularly confusing user interface later, the goddess slumped backward with a sigh.

 _I need to take a break from this before I start pulling my hair out._

Maybe she should drop by Kuoh and give Homura a surprise visit. Not only would the other girl be jumping for joy (not that she would ever show it), but it would also let her do something she'd been meaning to do for a while.

 _Now, what to wear? I haven't dressed casually in a_ very _long time . . ._

xxx

Homura was having a very uneventful day.

Wake up, prepare for the day, greet Asia, eat breakfast, head to school. There, she sat through the tedious lessons, half her brain keeping an eye on her surroundings while the other half brainstormed new fighting techniques for when the enemy reared their ugly head once more.

Once school was over, she politely declined yet another invitation from Tsubaki to join Sona for a chess game (she couldn't help but feel that the Student Council President had a grudge against her for some reason) and slipped back to the church before she got wrapped up in another devil's scheme.

Safely inside, she rushed up to her room and blitzed through her homework like the honors student she was pretending to be.

A knock on the door.

She sighed and stood up. Visitors were rare, but not wholly uncommon. Most of them came simply to pray, although a few also left donations behind.

Another knock.

"Coming," she called out.

She opened the door, its iron hinges creaking as they yielded.

"Welcome to –"

Her eyes landed on the other person and her body froze.

A pink blouse. A white skirt. Short, pink hair tied up in twin pigtails with those achingly familiar ribbons.

And warm, golden eyes that conveyed an indescribable feeling of tenderness.

"Mado – . . . – ka?"

The goddess grinned. "Hiya, Homura-chan!" She peered past her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important?"

"Oh – no, no. I was just doing homework."

"That's plenty important, Homura-chan! You won't graduate if you don't do your homework, you know?"

Finally regaining her composure, she smoothly answered, "Perhaps I will need the practice in the higher grades, but for now, the material is fairly trivial. Even you could have done it quickly, before . . ." She trailed off awkwardly, hesitant to bring up old memories.

But Madoka simply smiled. "Hey, my grades in school weren't _that_ bad! Hitomi-chan's tutoring really helped a lot."

Homura gave a small smile in return. "Maybe it helped you, but for Miki-san, it probably just went in one ear and out the other."

The goddess chuckled. "She always had trouble paying attention." She glanced at her with a teasing expression. "Anyway, are you going to let me in?"

Realizing that they had been standing near the entrance for a minute now, Homura flushed in embarrassment and quickly stepped aside.

Madoka strode in, taking in polished piers and new mosaic designs scattered about. She didn't know what the church had looked like beforehand, but she doubted that the mosaics had images of magical girls fighting witches on them before.

"I like the new design," she said. "But why that scene in particular?"

Homura paused on her way to the kitchen. "Because we shouldn't forget the fate that you saved us from," she said simply.

Madoka absently nodded as her friend continued into the kitchen (presumably to get some tea, she supposed). She glanced around and saw another mosaic, this one depicting a more peaceful scene.

It was a simple scene. One where five girls sat at a table, drinking tea and eating cake, laughing and talking without a care in the world.

She smiled.

It never hurt to have a reminder once in a while.

xxx

"This is really good tea!"

"Tha – thank you very much!"

"And these biscuits are so soft and chewy! I almost want to take you home with me and make you my personal chef!"

"I – I'm not worthy –"

"You're adorable~!"

Homura sighed as she watched Madoka make Asia turn increasingly deeper shades of red. The nun was fidgeting uncontrollably under the goddess's gaze, shrinking back against her seat to avoid her intense stare.

To think that her kind and gentle friend had such a mischievous side to her . . .

How terrifying.

She coughed politely. "You should give her some breathing room, Madoka. Argento-san might suffocate under your pressure at this rate."

"But she's so cute! I wanted to hug her when you first brought her to Heaven, but I needed to look serious for the exorcists." Madoka folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them. "I'm sure any food made with hands as cute as those will taste absolutely wonderful~"

Asia began spluttering some more while Homura calmly replied, "If Tomoe-san heard you say that, she would probably go into a corner and cry from being upstaged by a sheltered girl who was burning food a few weeks ago."

The goddess laughed. "You may be right about that."

Homura's lips twitched upward in the barest hint of a smile before assuming her normal severe expression. "This question is a bit overdue, but to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, Madoka?"

Her friend tilted her head. "Can't I just drop by to see my favorite magical girl?"

"You can," she admitted. "But with the situation the way it is right now, I doubt you would shirk your duties just to see me."

Although the peace conference had been successful, the tentative period just after the event was the most crucial factor to determine whether this peace would be lasting. The War was still fresh in everyone's minds, and even the smallest spark could be all it took before the tension exploded into violence.

In times like these, it would be irresponsible for a leader to shirk her duties and run off to see a friend.

It was Madoka's turn to sigh. "You're no fun, Homura-chan." She smiled. "But you're right. I did have something else in mind when I came here, but I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and have some fun with you too."

"And what did you have in mind?"

"We're going on a trip to Kyoto!"

Homura blinked.

"Pardon?"

"I hear Kyoto is quite nice this time of year. Plenty of flowers blooming, excellent tourist spots, and great food!"

Homura raised a hand to stop Madoka's tirade. "Why do you want to go there?"

The goddess tapped her chin. "Well, I'm hoping to meet someone there. But it's also a great destination for a trip!" Her gaze locked onto Asia. "You're coming too, Asia-chan!"

The nun, who had been simply watching their back-and-forth exchange for the past few minutes, suddenly sat up as she was addressed. "Eh? Me?"

"Of course! You don't get to go out very often, do you? It's not fair to you that Homura-chan keeps you cooped up in here all the time."

"I'm not keeping her cooped up – !"

"I – I would be honored!"

Madoka grinned. "Perfect! Then we have a consensus."

Homura frowned. "You didn't hear my response yet."

She blinked at her innocently. "Are you saying you wouldn't want to go on a trip with me, Homura-chan?"

The magical girl opened her mouth to retort, then slowly closed it.

She turned away with a huff.

"Ah, you're so cute when you pout, Homura-chan!"

And that was how Homura got roped into going on a trip to Kyoto.

xxx

Homura never saw the point of sightseeing.

Going somewhere just to see attractions in person when she could simply find a picture on the internet seemed pointless to her.

"This is such a nice view! You should come take a look, Homura-chan!"

But Madoka seemed to be enjoying herself, so she would just bear with it.

She approached the observation deck where her friend stood, Kyoto's vast, sprawling metropolis laid out before them. Towers of steel jutted before them, their towering heights looking like they touched the heavens themselves.

"How does the view compare to what you see from Heaven?" she asked.

The goddess hummed as she gazed down at the populace. "I think I like this one better."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Because . . ." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "When I look down on them from Heaven, they seem so small and frail. But when I look down on them from one of their own creations, it makes me marvel at the heights that they have managed to achieve. And I can't help but feel proud." She turned to her. "What about you, Homura-chan? What do you see when you look down from here?"

Homura looked down. From her vantage point atop Kyoto tower, the people bustling about and the cars racing on the ground looked so small and insignificant.

She felt like she might crush some of them if she were to take one more step.

"I see people wallowing about in their selfishness, not giving a single thought to the troubles that plague the world," she said.

The goddess tilted her head. "You're not wrong," She concluded. "But you're not right either." She cupped her head between her hands. "It is true that many people disregard any events that do not directly involve them. But it is also true that many people fight for causes far away from them, for no other reason than because they believe it just." She smiled. "This world still has hope. It just needs a little time to get there."

Homura shrugged and nodded. She didn't really care about the rest of the world so long as Madoka remained safe. "As you say."

Madoka pushed herself off of the railing. "Let's go, Homura-chan! If we keep Asia-chan waiting any longer, she'll think we fell off or something."

Asia had followed them up the tower, but after taking one peek at the city beneath them from the observation deck, she had swiftly retreated back near the staircase, saying that she would wait for them to finish.

Homura didn't really understand what the issue was, but Madoka had giggled and called Asia's reaction "cute," so she had shrugged and put it out of her mind.

As they made their way back into the main building, they spotted their timid companion near the stairwell, only she seemed to have a rather large crowd around her.

A crowd consisting mostly of devils, if her memory didn't fail her.

Rias smiled at them as they approached. "Oh! Akemi-san, I didn't expect to find you here. I never got to thank you properly for helping me out, did I?"

"As I mentioned before, no thanks are necessary," she replied.

"I insist. Oh, I know!" Rias fumbled around in her bag. "Since you're in Kyoto, you might find these handy. My brother was rather . . . overzealous and gave me too many." She chuckled weakly as she held out slips of paper.

Homura took them and peered at them.

 _Kyoto Sirzechs Hotel_

 _Pass for free overnight stay!_

"Thank you," she said.

"It's the least I could do," the devil replied.

A golden blur zipped past them and hid behind Madoka, reforming into a red-faced Asia.

"Oh my, it appears that I got a bit ahead of myself," Akeno said as she stepped closer. "I'm sorry for teasing you so much, Asia-chan!" She glanced at the new arrivals. "Are they the companions you mentioned?"

"Y – yes –"

Madoka smiled and waved at Rias's peerage cheerfully. "It's nice to meet you all!"

Yuuto frowned. "You seem familiar, but I can't quite remember from where . . ."

"Peace conference," Koneko helpfully supplied.

Issei smacked his palm with a fist. "That's right! She's the one who made that spooky red barrier!"

Rias's eyes shot open. "M – Madoka-sama!" She hurriedly bowed. "I – I apologize for not noticing sooner! It's an honor to be in your presence –"

As the rest of her peerage began to follow suit, the goddess frantically tried to dissuade them. "No, no, it's fine – I'm not too comfortable with the bowing and scraping – I would have been more surprised if you had recognized me so quickly – !"

After all that confusion was cleared up and proper introductions had been made, they retreated down the tower and relocated to a nearby café. Even though everyone was some sort of supernatural entity, the conversations that sprung up were surprisingly . . . normal.

Well, as normal as things could get for people like them.

Madoka had formed some sort of huddle with Rias and Akeno and the three of them were . . . gossiping.

Yes, her gentle, kind friend was _gossiping._

About what, Homura had no clue.

And with the furtive glances they occasionally shot at various people in the vicinity, she wasn't sure if she _wanted_ to know.

Yuuto and Asia had struck up a conversation of their own. She had no idea what the two had in common, but after overhearing a few snippets of their conversation, it appeared that they both had tragic pasts involving the Church.

" _We will have to do something about that at some point."_

Homura stiffened at Madoka's words. " _What? Aren't you . . . ?"_

" _Talking with two other people at the same time? Yes, I am."_ The goddess giggled over their telepathic link. " _Being proficient at multi-tasking is a requirement for most deities. You will not_ believe _the number of things I had simultaneously occupying my attention back in the other world."_

" _Huh . . . wait, how did you know what I was thinking?"_

" _It wasn't hard to guess. I overheard parts of Asia-chan's and Kiba-kun's conversation too, and you were looking right at them."_

" _I see . . . what did you mean by 'doing something about that'?"_

A telepathic sigh. " _For an institution built on faith and righteousness, the Church is surprisingly corrupt. So long as I am the leader of Heaven, I will not tolerate such infidelity. But that will have to wait until later."_

" _Will I play a part in your solution to this issue?"_

" _Perhaps. I have not decided yet. In the meantime, you should socialize some more, Homura-chan!"_

The magical girl sighed as the link was cut. A nagging doubt sprouted within her mind, whispering that she wouldn't be picked, that she wasn't good enough for Madoka –

She swiftly stomped it out with her iron discipline. Her friend was simply weighing her options and selecting the best people for the job. That was all. Emotions had nothing to do with it.

In any event, making friends was never her strong suit, but if her goddess decreed it to be so, she could at least try.

Glancing around, she looked to see who was currently not preoccupied with a conversation.

Issei was staring at Asia's chest, his head nodding absentmindedly as he pretended to listen to the nun's story about her life in the Church.

Well, he looked like he was busy nonetheless so that only left . . .

Hazel eyes met her own as Koneko seemed to reach the same conclusion.

"Hello."

"Hi."

". . ."

". . ."

This might be harder than expected.

Who knew it would be so difficult for a quiet, reserved girl to strike up a conversation with another quiet, reserved girl?

"I like shooting things," she tried.

"I like punching things."

". . ."

". . ."

That was . . . better?

She would chalk this up as a victory in her book.

xxx

The first thing Madoka noticed about Kinkakuji temple was that it shone brightly.

Not because its exterior practically glowed with the gold paint applied to it, but because there was a faint aura surrounding the temple, one that exuded peace and calm for the benefit of all who entered.

It was also a popular tourist destination, but one wouldn't think that considering how barren the place was at the moment.

Homura frowned. "Where is everyone? Shouldn't there be more people here?"

"There usually are," a gruff voice answered. "But seeing as I have special guests today, I thought it would be better if we had a little privacy."

A childish figure covered in golden fur and wearing a monk's cassock approached them. Puffs of smoke drifted up from his pipe as he peered at them through his shades. "Normally, I don't show up on demand. But when another deity prays to me and asks for an audience . . . well, you could say I was intrigued."

Madoka smiled brightly while Homura and Asia looked on with a hint of confusion. "It's nice to meet you, Wukong-sama! I am Madoka." She gestured to her party members. "These are my friends, Homura-chan and Asia-chan."

"Wu – Wukong?! As in Sun Wukong?!" Asia hastily bowed when she realized the identity of the person in front of her.

Homura was more hesitant but gave a wordless bow after a stern glance from Madoka.

"The one and only." The Buddha took another draft from his pipe. "Come, let us take this inside."

The inside of the temple was sparse, with little furniture aside from the many sliding doors that separated the various rooms. But on each door was a painting, a work that an artist put their very soul into the making of: mountain ranges stretching across the room, mythical figures brandishing legendary weapons, and famous philosophers contemplating life's meaning.

They sat down at a table that had not been there a moment before, around a small, silver bowel containing sweets that the world had not seen for many ages.

"Among all the foodstuffs that I encountered during my travels, these will always remain my favorite," Wukong said as he plopped one into his mouth. "Go on, try one."

Madoka reached forward and took a sweet without hesitation. After chewing on it for a few seconds, her eyes widened. "Mmmm! It's good! Tastes like honey and caramel."

Seeing her reaction, Homura and Asia endeavored to try one as well.

"Ahhhh, it's melting in my mouth so nicely!" The nun said.

". . . Too sweet," Homura declared as her verdict.

Wukong chuckled. "Not to your taste, huh? Too bad." His gaze darted back to Madoka. "Before we begin, I have to know: who are you? I have never heard of you before the day ridiculous rumors started popping up about you, the new leader of Heaven."

"I am a goddess from another world," She answered. "I came here because people wished to be saved, and I wished to save them."

"A do-gooder, aren't you?" Another puff of smoke. "Not many deities have your attitude; most of them just think of humans as walking pockets of faith, to be ensnared and kept enthralled."

"As a former human myself, I know of human suffering only too well." Her eyes narrowed. "Their lives are troubling enough without petty gods thrown into the mix."

Wukong paused as he stared at the goddess for a long moment. Slowly, he set his pipe down. "A former human, you say? Now that's impressive." He took off his shades, revealing ageless eyes filled with the wisdom of a thousand years. "It takes a pure heart, a wellspring of benevolence, and an unfaltering sense of righteousness for a mere human to become a god." His eyes roved over her, seeing the goddess in a new light. "What was it that affirmed your resolve so, that allowed you to transcend the confines of the flesh and into a new and enlightened state?"

Madoka's eyes flitted into the distance as she thought back. "It was . . . the tragedy of the world. That people with hopes so bright were doomed to fall into eventual despair." Her voice hardened. "Looking at their plight . . . it was just too sad. I couldn't accept a world like that. So, I rewrote it with my own two hands."

Wukong laughed. "When you put it like that, it sounds so simple. Not at all as complex as the eighty-one trials I had to undergo to gain my Buddhahood." His expression became serious. "But it wasn't any less difficult, was it?"

Madoka smiled sadly. "For you . . . you were given an arduous task, and you were free to do as you wish with your reward once you finished. But for me . . . " Her eyes softened. "It is an endless sacrifice. I did not ascend for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others. And that is my endless task."

The Buddha's expression was solemn. "I see." He paused. "Do you regret it?"

"Not at all."

He grinned. "A good answer." Suddenly, a bottle of sake was in his hands. "The deities I respect in this world are few and far between . . . but I think someone like you can make the cut." Cups sprang into existence around him, and he began pouring finely aged sake into each one. "If you what said is true, you'll be needing a good drink sooner or later."

Madoka smiled as she accepted the drink. "Thank you."

Homura coolly took a cup as well.

Asia stammered as a cup was placed in front of her as well. "U – um, I'm underage – a – and I don't think I'm supposed to drink anyway –"

Wukong rolled his eyes. "You youngsters and your stiff beliefs. Fine, fine." He waved his hand over Asia's cup and it flashed briefly. "There. I turned it into apple juice." His eyes narrowed. "The most _expensive_ apple juice ever made. Know how much this thousand-year-old sake costs?"

"I – I'm sorry!"

He burst out laughing. "Oh, lighten up, I was just teasing ya. I don't actually care: I have a hundred more of these bottles anyway." He raised his cup into the air. "Now, let's drink up!"

A few empty cups later, and the atmosphere at the table was much more relaxed.

"Wooo . . . forgot how fun it was to drink with others," Wukong said. "Now, what was it that you sought me out for, Goddess?"

Homura perked up at the shift in topic; she was curious about why they had come here as well.

Madoka was a tad bit disoriented, but upon being addressed, she snapped back into focus. "Hmm? Oh, right." She gathered her thoughts before speaking again. "I came seeking your wisdom."

"My wisdom?" Wukong looked intrigued. "Do tell: what would a goddess like you have need of my wisdom for?"

"To create a vessel for a lost soul."

Homura's eyes widened at her words. Could it be . . . ?

Wukong tilted his head. "A vessel . . . for a lost soul?" He stroked his chin. "You wouldn't h –"

His gaze suddenly darted to the side. Frowning, he slashed through the air with his pipe.

The others looked at him confusedly. "Is something the matter, Wukong-sama?" Madoka asked.

"It's nothing. Just getting rid of an annoying gnat." He brought his pipe back to his mouth. "Now, where was I? Oh, right." He cleared his throat. "You wouldn't happen to be trying to reincarnate the souls in Heaven, would you?" His gaze grew sterner. "Even if you are new at managing the affairs of Heaven, you should know that bringing the dead back to life would disrupt the balance of the world."

"Bringing back those long lost is not my intent," Madoka clarified. "It is for . . . friends of mine, whose souls are much more detached than normal."

"Friends with detached souls? What strange acquaintances you have, Goddess." Wukong peered at Her. "Tell me, are these friends of yours dead?"

"Not dead. They are simply in a better place."

He gave her a strange look. "Some would think that you were simply using a euphemism . . . but I have the feeling that there is actually a significant difference, isn't there?"

She smiled. "There is."

The Monkey King sighed as he took another swig. "What strange things I've seen and heard throughout the ages." He set the bottle down and popped the cap back on. "Well, no matter. I am feeling generous, and if you are not attempting to disrupt the world's balance as you claim, then I shall lend you my aid."

Madoka clasped her hands together. "Thank you very much!"

"Don't start thanking me yet. Not until you get over the headaches." He snorted. "Before we begin, I assume that you want the vessel to be a humanoid body?"

She nodded.

"In that case, the God of the Bible would have been a much better teacher than me. But since He's not around anymore, I suppose I'll have to do." He folded his arms. "First off, to create something, you must truly understand it. Do you understand the human body?"

Madoka blinked. She could vaguely remember taking an anatomy class back in school when she was human, but she doubted that it was in-depth enough for her needs. "Only the basics," she confessed.

"Luckily for us, that won't be a problem since you kindly brought someone with the blueprint for the human body." He gave a pointed look at a specific person.

Asia, who had been fascinatedly following the conversation thus far, gave a start when she realized that everyone was now looking at her. "Huh? Me?"

Wukong rolled his eyes. "Yes, child. How do you think your Sacred Gear can heal any injury? Magic?" He chuckled. "Well, it actually _is_ magic, but even magic needs a basis to work off. And for Twilight Healing, that basis is a fundamental understanding of the human body and how it works. It even has special indexes containing information about angels, devils, and fallen angels so that it can heal them too."

The nun stared at him with wonder. "H – how do you know all that, Wukong-sama?"

"I've been around for a long time, child. I even got to meet with the God of the Bible on a few occasions. And let me tell you, you won't _believe_ the kind of stuff he lets slip when he's drunk." He began laughing as he reminisced about past times.

As Madoka and Asia looked on with growing horror at the kind of dirty jokes the old God liked to tell, Homura coughed politely. "That all sounds very interesting, but would you like to explain how Twilight Healing can help Madoka understand the human body?"

Wukong paused in his tirade. "Hmm? Oh, right. Must have had a bit too much to drink if I've started rambling." He coughed. "Anyway, God put the blueprint of the human body into that Sacred Gear to help it work. So, all she needs to do is . . . hmm, what's the term these days? Download?" He looked up in thought before nodding. "Yes, download. She needs to download a copy of that blueprint into her head."

They all stared at him.

"Um . . . how am I supposed to do that?" Madoka asked.

The Monkey King just waved his hand around indifferently. "Beats me. If you're the new leader of Heaven, that means you're the one now in charge of the Sacred Gear system. You should know better than me." He gulped down another bottle of sake. "If you don't know where to start, I'd suggest putting your hand on the gear and start concentrating. Can't really go wrong with that approach."

The goddess looked uncertain about the procedure but resolved herself to follow through. "May I?" she asked with a glance towards Asia.

"O – of course!" The nun quickly proffered her hand with the ring known as Twilight Healing.

Madoka clasped her hand around the ring gently and focused. Countless hours spent tinkering with the Holy System gave her some idea of what she was looking for. The system was held together by countless strands, each signifying a unique concept, and many of these strands were combined to further create more complex ideas.

Twilight Healing itself was a single strand made of countless others. To her mind, it felt like a maze, where each individual thread was a corridor she could proceed down.

 _Cervix._

 _Regeneration._

 _Sternum._

 _Ring._

 _Green._

Words flew through her mind. Many of them were foreign terms she didn't recognize, but when she latched onto them, they divulged their secrets to her.

 _Neck._

 _Breastbone._

 _Wrist._

Knowledge poured into her, everything she needed to know about those words she had just captured. How to recognize them. How to structure them.

How to create them.

At this point, she understood what she had to do. This was a labyrinth riddled with treasure, and it was her job to search every nook and cranny to find every last hoard.

It was a daunting task. With thousands of strands to choose from, and a thousand more diverging from each strand, she felt her mind would break under the impending strain.

But if it was for the sake of her friends, she was willing to endure any trial.

xxx

An eon passed.

At least, that was what it felt like to Madoka as she pieced together bits and pieces of the strands containing the blueprint for the human body.

 _Chin._

 _Armpit._

 _Navel._

She never knew the human body had so many different parts. She had enough trouble trying to comprehend it all, let alone coming up with it in the first place.

She found herself with a newfound respect for her predecessor.

 _Digestion_

 _Respiration_

 _Circulation._

How many had she gotten by now? She had lost count, but she felt her understanding grow bit by bit.

Soon, she felt that her knowledge would become complete.

 _Heel._

 _Chest._

 _Rib._

And like a monk suddenly achieving enlightenment, she felt everything _shift_ into place.

She understood now. How humans were born, how they lived, how they moved, how they laughed, how they cried, how they _died_ –

It was too much. If there were ever such thing as information overload, she was experiencing it now. It was like an ocean, and she was naught but a mere pebble to be swept away by the tide.

Maybe it would be easier if she just let it take her . . .

 _Madoka!_

. . . ? Was someone . . . calling for her . . . ?

 _Madoka, please!_

A familiar voice. It was an important voice, she knew. But she couldn't quite place it.

 _Please don't leave me!_

And with a surge of emotion, she remembered.

 _Homura-chan!_

And like a drowning man breaking the surface of the ocean, she woke up gasping for breath.

"Oh? Looks like you made it out of there in one piece."

Madoka panted, Homura buried into her side as she grasped her tightly. Asia was staring at her with wide eyes from across the table, her face pale and her body trembling.

"A – are you alright, M – Madoka-sama?" The nun shakily asked.

"I – I am fine," she replied. "Just tired."

Wukong was the only one with any sort of composure. "Well, did you get what you needed?"

The goddess numbly nodded.

Homura looked up and snarled at the Buddha. "You! You knew this would happen!"

He raised an eyebrow. "For all my vast wisdom, I did _not_ actually know that this would happen. I imagined that it would be difficult, yes . . . but not so dire that it would put her into a coma."

"Wha – what?" Madoka was confused. "A coma?"

The Monkey King turned to look at her. "You were in there for two hours. Your followers got worried sick after the first hour, and they began trying everything to get you to wake up. But no matter what they did, you wouldn't respond." He frowned. "They even tried pulling your hand away from Twilight Healing, but even that didn't do anything." He sighed. "Even if we were all ignorant of the perils, I will still take the blame. Tampering with the creation of a higher being always has its dangers, and I should have warned you better."

She shook her head. "No. Don't feel bad. Even if you had warned me of the risks beforehand, my decision would remain unchanged."

"Is that so?" He lit up his pipe once more. "It's a rarity to find someone with your resolve. No wonder you ascended to godhood." He let out a puff. "Anywhere, now that the hard part is over, the rest is easy. All deities have the natural ability to create items related to their domains. Think of the feeling when you do that and apply it to your newly gained knowledge. Instinct should take care of the rest."

Madoka nodded slowly. "I understand. Thank you for your time, Wukong-sama. I am tired, so it would be best if we retired for the night."

He nodded. "Take care, Goddess. I wouldn't mind meeting you again."

As Madoka stumbled out of the temple with the aid of the two girls, she had an embarrassing revelation.

"Hah . . . I don't think I have the energy to take myself back to Heaven," she sheepishly admitted.

Homura shrugged. "It's a good thing we have these then." She pulled out the free hotel passes that Rias had given them.

Madoka took one look at the passes and burst out laughing at the sheer coincidence of it all.

"U – um, what is it, Madoka-sama?" Asia asked.

"Nothing," she replied tiredly. "Nothing at all."

xxx

Cao Cao and the rest of the Hero Faction stood near the outskirts of Kyoto. Their blades were honed, their bodies tense; the plan was due to start momentarily, but . . .

"What's wrong, Cao Cao?"

His eyes flickered behind him to see Georg, standing loyally at attention as always.

"Something troubling has arisen," he said. "The city's Ki is fluctuating more than it should be."

His friend frowned. "Ki fluctuation? That would only happen if someone was performing a ritual to manipulate the city's Ki or . . ."

"If someone with an immense amount of Ki were to appear," he finished.

Georg nodded. "Someone like that could prove rather troublesome for us. I believe it would be best if we investigated first. Know your enemy and all that, yes?"

Cao Cao scratched his chin as he pondered the uneasy feeling that had entered his gut.

"Le Fay!" he barked. "I need you up here."

"Here, here, Cao Cao-san!"

The magician he had called for skipped over, her big, blue hat bouncing up and down as she moved. Behind her, her brother followed closely, his eyes sharply observing everything in sight.

"How can I help?" Le Fay asked as she skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Something, or _someone,_ is causing the Ki in the city to fluctuate abnormally," he said. "I need you to use your divination to find the cause."

"Right-o! I'll get started right away!"

Arthur remained while his sister ran off to collect the materials for her spell. He glanced at his leader. "Do you think this will hinder the mission?"

Cao Cao grunted. "It shouldn't. But just in case . . ."

They waited in silence as Le Fay prepared the reagents. Soon, the sound of her chanting echoed throughout the quiet clearing, growing louder and louder.

And at its peak, a hole inscribed itself on the surface of reality, showing the magician what she wished to see.

"Phew! I think I got it!" she called out.

Cao Cao strode over with his subordinates in tow. He peered over her shoulder at the image brought up by the scrying spell as several other members of the Hero Faction crowded around for a closer look as well.

"This spell is meant to show us the largest concentration of Ki in Kyoto," Le Fay informed him.

Cao Cao absently nodded as he observed the scene. There was a group of people sitting around a table; the flooring and walls led him to believe they were in some sort of shrine. There were three girls that he didn't recognize, but the old man they were talking to seemed vaguely familiar –

" _I came seeking your wisdom,"_ a female voice spoke.

Behind him, Georg furrowed his brows as he stared intently at the one who spoke. "I cannot be certain, but based on the description given to us by Vali, I think that she might be the new leader of Heaven that we've heard about lately."

"Heaven?" Cao Cao frowned. "What is the Heaven faction doing here?"

" _My wisdom?"_ the older man spoke. _"Do tell: what would a goddess like you have need of my wisdom for?"_

"Well, that certainly confirms it," Georg muttered.

But Cao Cao didn't quite hear his friend's comment. The old man's voice had sparked a feeling of recognition, and as he searched his memory for why it sounded so familiar, he realized –

"That's Sun Wukong."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "The Great Sage Equaling Heaven himself? Are you certain?"

Cao Cao nodded numbly. "I met him once when I was young."

If Sun Wukong was here, that would explain the fluctuation of the city's Ki. After all, the Monkey King possessed a _vast_ amount of Ki himself, enough to send ripples through other sources of Ki like a pebble dropped into a lake.

" _To create a vessel for a lost soul."_

" _A vessel . . . for a lost soul? You wouldn't h –"_

The man in the image stopped and turned around, his gaze swinging to look –

Right at them.

"Eeeeeek!" Le Fay was panicking. "He's noticed us!"

Before she could do anything to conceal their presence again, Wukong's pipe flashed across the screen. The surface rippled, losing its cohesion and dissolving into fine mist.

The magician sat back with a sigh. "Darn. Now that he's on guard against me, I won't be able to peek in on them very easily."

"It's fine," Cao Cao interrupted. "We got what we needed."

Conversations were breaking out as the Hero Faction discussed the presence of the two deities in Kyoto.

"Isn't Sun Wukong a terrifyingly strong god?!"

"Nah, look at how old he was; I bet he's a total pushover!"

"Was that really Heaven's new goddess? She looked kind of cute."

"Will we have to fight Her? I'd feel bad about fighting angels . . ."

"ENOUGH!"

Cao Cao's voice rang through the clearing, silencing all others. Once the quiet had returned, Heracles stepped forward to voice the question in all their heads.

"Well? Is the plan going through, or not?"

As the crowd waited with bated breath for his answer, Cao Cao felt his fist clench and unclench repeatedly. His pride was telling him to stand and fight regardless of these complications, but . . .

 _He could still remember that_ overwhelming _pressure. Even as a child, he had been unnaturally perceptive, and so he was able to tell that the old monkey in front of him was no normal monkey._

 _It was strong._

 _Incredibly so._

 _And as it told him of his ancestry, of the great hero he was descended from and the great hero he might become in the future, the only thing running through his mind was the insurmountable gulf between them._

 _No matter how hard he trained, no matter how long he lived . . ._

 _He would never be able to defeat it._

Even now, when he was older and more experienced, when he laid eyes on the Monkey King once more, that feeling was as strong as ever. In other words . . .

This mission was over before it even began.

The only thing left was to assuage his damaged pride.

"We're pulling back."

Cries of protest immediately sprang up to meet his decision, Heracles being the loudest and most vocal of them.

"What?! We're leaving just because of an old monkey and a wannabe goddess?!"

"SILENCE!"

The crowd quieted once more at his raised voice.

"While Wukong may be defeated with . . . careful preparation." Cao Cao choked a little on his lie. "Getting embroiled in a conflict with Heaven would defeat the purpose of our group. Or have you all forgotten who it was that bestowed these blessed gifts upon us?"

The murmuring died down as various people glanced at their Sacred Gears with looks of acknowledgment.

Heracles, however, was not satisfied. "In that case, we can just ignore that goddess and her goons! If we don't attack them, they'll have no reason to interfere with our mission!"

Cao Cao gazed at his subordinate with an unimpressed look. "And just what do you think they will think of us when we kidnap the leader of Kyoto with the intent of forcing her to open the Dragon Gate? They will believe that we are not heroes, but villains. And they will do their utmost to stop us, as is the duty of the Heavenly Host." His stare intensified. "Do you want to be a villain, Heracles?"

The musclebound man scowled but grudgingly backed down.

With the loudest and most brazen of them cowed, no one else raised an objection to their retreat. As people began turning to leave, Cao Cao paused and took one last glance at the city.

"That was an impressive performance."

He turned to find Georg smiling at him. "It won't change the fact that we failed," he said with a scowl.

His friend shrugged. "Some things can't be helped. At the very least, you managed to retain their respect with that speech of yours." He pushed back his glasses. "Retreating to fight another day is always a viable option. A pity that many of them do not understand that."

Cao Cao was silent. "If it weren't for that day so many years ago, I wouldn't understand that either," he said at last and began walking away. "Come. At the very least, we heard something . . . interesting before the spell was cut off."

"Indeed, we did . . ." Georg grinned. "A vessel for a lost soul, hmm?"

xxx

". . . And you are certain about this?"

The well-mannered man sitting across from him smiled. "Of course. I assure you that my sources are very reliable."

The Pope closed his eyes and breathed heavily. "Normally, I would have taken your news as an ill-mannered jest, but from what my people have been able to discover, your claim is not . . . without merit, Astaroth-san."

"I would never bring you bad information," the other man smoothly replied. "That is, provided you are willing to pay my fee?"

He grimaced, a hint of distaste creeping onto his features. "Yes, yes. You will find her ready for pickup in the same room as usual."

Astaroth raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You seem to be lacking your usual hesitation, Pope-sama. Have you gotten used to it?" He grinned savagely. "Used to using others for your own gain? To this deal with a devil?"

"As despicable as you are, Astaroth-san," the Pope said, "I would hardly call you a devil. My current sorry state is the fault of no one but myself."

"If only you were aware of the irony of that statement . . ." the other man muttered.

"Hmm? What was that?"

"Nothing," Astaroth smoothly replied. "However, you still haven't answered my question."

A bitter laugh. "Does it really matter if I am used to it or not? A sin is a sin, no matter how the perpetrator's heart may look at it. But with God's death, even the most virtuous saint may sin, and there will be no one to punish him for it." He let out a tired sigh. "To think I used to be one of the idealistic masses, praying to the Heavens all innocently, unaware of the tragedy of the world . . ."

He hadn't always been this jaded, wretched man today. When he had first taken up the office of Pope he had been ecstatic, eager to share the Word of God with the devoted masses. All had been well for a while until he had unwittingly stumbled onto the Church's _darker_ side.

A corrupt clergyman who extorted his worshippers into giving him money with threats of damnation and hell. A most despicable person.

He had the man arrested and excommunicated on the spot.

But the man had laughed. Laughed and said those awful parting words:

" _God is dead."_

He had not believed it, at first. He brushed it off as simply the ramblings of a raving lunatic. But the more time passed, the more his intuition nagged at him, making him question the validity of that claim.

So he had investigated. It was difficult, with the Heavens all clammed up as they were, but after finding records from his predecessor, he had learned the truth.

God was dead. His work was a lie. His station was a lie. His _life_ was a lie.

He had been ready to resign then and there. But in his darkest moments, a certain . . . someone had come to him, with silky words that rolled off a serpentine tongue.

" _Would it not look suspicious for the new Pope to quit so soon after taking office? You don't want the masses to figure it out, do you? If you think your despair is so great, what do you think will happen when the masses learn the truth?"_

That certain someone who sat across from him even now.

" _Even if God is dead, it is your duty as their shepherd to protect them, is it not? Even if it means protecting them from the truth. A little white lie won't hurt, will it?"_

It had started small. Small favors in exchange for friendly advice.

But as he continued living this lie, it escalated. His advisor started asking for . . . "donations." Specifically, of the female, virgin kind. Preferably of the "Holy Maiden" variety.

He had been appalled at first. But Astaroth had offered information about the movements of the other Biblical Factions, and he had eventually rationalized it as sacrificing one life to save countless others.

A den of vicious stray devils stationed near a church.

A group of nefarious rogue Fallen plotting to murder a bishop.

A batch of stray exorcists: traitors seeking to undermine that which they once protected.

All eliminated. Thanks to his associate's information.

And that was where their relationship stood today. Offering lives for the information to save more lives.

A serpentine smile. "If I may, I have an additional proposal that you may find worth your while."

". . . Go on."

"I have in my possession a photo of the usurper. With it, it will be much easier for you and your men to dispose of the imposter."

The Pope nodded carefully. "That is true," he admitted. "What is your price?"

"Due to some . . . incompetent help, one of the nuns that I was meant to obtain was lost. It is not very easy for me to recover her at the moment, which is why I would like your assistance in the matter."

He drummed his fingers on his desk. "If this is about who I think it is, I will need some time to set things up, but it should be doable."

"That is fine," the other man said. "So long as you follow through, I have no grievances." He turned and beckoned. "Come, darling. Show our host his prize."

A young woman walked up, face downcast and posture slumped. Her eyes were utterly vacant, and her movement was stiff, as if she couldn't move without someone else's orders. She set down her bag, pulled a photo out of it, and laid it on the desk.

"Here you are, Astaroth-sama," she murmured.

He smiled beatifically at her. "Why, thank you, darling."

Looking at the broken girl in front of him, he could hazard a guess at what the man did with the women he had handed over to him these past few years. It was something he didn't like to dwell on, despite his countless sins over the years.

"I believe that concludes our business, yes?"

The Pope looked up to see that Astaroth had gotten up, ready to leave. "Yes . . . that will be all."

The other man nodded. "In that case, I bid you farewell." With a flourish, he spun around and left, his servant following close on his heels. The two of them would not be stopped by any of those guarding the inner sanctum, for he had long since replaced the old guards with men of his own, men who wouldn't question what their Pope was doing, having such furtive, surreptitious meetings with dubious characters.

As their footsteps receded, the Pope glanced down at the image that had been left for him.

His first impression was that the supposed deity was awfully young, with a sort of ethereal, radiant beauty that reminded him of the fairest angels in Heaven. Pink hair framed a gentle, kind smile that reminded him of his late wife.

He sighed. It was hard to reconcile this girl, no, this _deity_ with the fake, the imposter, the enemy that he was supposed to fight against.

But it must be done.

Even if he was one of the vilest sinners, a wicked man who deserved his own personal level in Hell, he was still the Pope.

He would prevent God's legacy from being perverted by this usurper. And he would protect the secret of God's demise from being revealed by this imposter.

xxx

Omake: A Most Indirect, Convoluted, and Unintentional Favor

Homura plopped down in her bed, tired after such a long day. As she felt her drowsiness beginning to pull her under, she felt something lightly land on her face.

She shot up in her bed, eyes already scanning the room for any possible threats.

When none presented themselves, her eyes darted to an inconspicuous-looking paper that had fallen on the comforter. Picking it up, she quickly read its contents:

 _Consider your favor to me fulfilled._

 _Great Red_

She frowned.

"But I didn't even do anything."


	9. This bouquet that surrounds

"So, what do you think Madoka brought us out here for?"

Sayaka stood with Kyoko and Mami in the throne room of Heaven. They had been whiling away time as usual when Madoka had suddenly barged in, proclaiming that she had a "surprise" that she wanted to show the three of them. After dragging them to this room, she had vanished behind a curtain to "get things ready."

"Maybe Pinkie just wanted to show off some souvenirs from her trip," Kyoko muttered as she picked at her teeth. "I hope it's food. Think she'll let me have some?"

"I doubt that we would need this privacy if it was something so trivial," Mami replied.

"Hey, don't call food trivial!"

"Oh?" Mami smiled teasingly. "In that case, should I start charging you for eating my cheesecakes, Kyoko-san?"

"Gurk!"

Sayaka chuckled. "She's got you there."

Kyoko scowled. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hope she hurries up. I was in the middle of a game."

"Sorry for the wait!"

A voice called out, and the group turned to see the goddess running over to them, panting for breath.

"Are you alright, Madoka?" Sayaka asked. "Never seen you so tired before."

"Hah . . ." Madoka was still breathing heavily. "I'm fine. It's just . . . that took a lot more energy out of me than expected. But it's done now!" She looked up with a smile.

The others all looked at each other in confusion. "Um, what's done, exactly?" Mami asked.

Madoka threw her arms outward. "This!" she proclaimed.

Three gurneys rolled up, a blanket covering the occupant of each. The bulges seemed to be on the shorter side, and they also seemed vaguely familiar for some reason . . .

 **Whoosh!**

With a flourish, Madoka pulled aside the covers revealing the bodies of three young girls.

Girls that looked _exactly_ like the three of them, only they were wearing a nostalgic school uniform.

They stared at them in numb shock for a few moments.

". . . Last I checked, I ain't got a twin sister running around or something . . ." Kyoko said.

"These . . . are these our real bodies?" Mami looked extremely confused.

Sayaka wasn't sure what she was supposed to be feeling in this situation. "Hey, is this a joke, Madoka? Why are there replicas of us over there?"

Madoka waved her hands around frantically. "This is for a good reason, I swear!" She paused. "I probably should have explained everything first before showing these off, huh?"

Sayaka gave her friend a deadpan look. "Yes. That would have been very helpful."

The goddess chuckled weakly. "Well, anyway. What you are seeing are vessels, or physical bodies that would let you interact with the mortal world without putting your souls at risk."

"And how are they supposed to do that?" Mami asked.

"Think of them like personalized puppets. Like . . ." Madoka paused. "Like how our old magical girl bodies worked. The body was controlled by the soul from a distance. Only in this case, instead of your souls being in a Soul Gem, they will be safe up here in Heaven. The Soul Gems on the vessels will act as spiritual receivers that your soul can interface with, and I've greatly extended the range on them so you shouldn't disconnect no matter how far away you get."

Sayaka nodded slowly. "Soooooo, essentially, they're remote-controlled bodies."

"Yup!"

"That's pretty cool. Heaven's great and all, but I've been itching to go for a run down-below," Kyoko said.

Mami furrowed her brows as she digested the information. "What would happen to our souls while we are controlling these vessels? And what of our magic and abilities?"

"Your souls would be unconscious in the meantime. It would be too weird and put too much of a strain on you otherwise. As for your magic and abilities, they should function roughly the same as when you were alive. Plus some extra perks, possibly."

"Can the Soul Gem be tainted? What about if it breaks?"

"Great questions! Taint will accumulate as you use magic like normal, but it will be slowly purified while you are untransformed. As for your other question, if that happens, or if the body sustains too much damage, you will be ejected and wake up back here in Heaven. So keep them protected!"

"How do we get into the bodies in the first place? And how do we 'wake up' from them afterward?" Sayaka asked.

"Right now, I have to manually transfer your consciousness into and out of the vessel. Which means that you would need to come back to Heaven where your soul is and have me perform the ritual." Madoka tapped her chin. "It's a bit inconvenient, but since this is rather new, I want to personally oversee the process. The only other way to wake up is the destruction of the Soul Gem, so if there's an emergency, you could smash it yourself."

"How'd you make these anyway? Making bodies like these didn't seem like something you could do," Kyoko asked.

Madoka smiled mysteriously. "Just something I picked up from a recent trip."

"Is it really okay for us to leave Heaven?" Mami asked. "I overheard some of the angels talking about a wide-scale conflict that's happening down there."

The goddess shifted nervously. "Well, that's actually partly why I made these bodies. You see . . ." She breathed in.

"I need your help."

The other three girls glanced at each other and formed an unspoken consensus.

"It's my duty as your senpai to help you out whenever you're in trouble," Mami said with a smile.

Sayaka flung an arm around Madoka. "You know we're with you all the way! Just tell us what you need."

Kyoko shrugged. "Can't let those two have all the fun. Guess I'm in too."

Madoka was touched by her friends' warm support. "Thank you, all of you." She took a deep breath as she assembled a plan.

"Here's what I need you to do."

xxx

"They're late."

Xenovia and Irina stood near a building on the outskirts of a forest. It was an exorcist training facility, albeit currently empty due to its residents graduating recently. However, the equipment remained, and the secluded location made it perfect for what they were about to do.

Except, they had to wait for the others first. And they were only going to be witnesses anyway.

"Well, this place _is_ a bit out of the way. It's not too surprising they've been delayed since they've never been here before," Irina placated her irate partner.

Xenovia was about to respond, but another voice cutting in caused her to freeze.

"Oh, Xenovia dear! My, how you've grown!"

A young woman wearing a nun's outfit approached them. While harmless at first glance, her piercing blue eyes were rapidly assessing her surroundings with the sharpness of a skilled combatant, and her footsteps made no sound at all despite the rough path she trod.

Xenovia stiffened up at her approach. "S-Sister Griselda! W-What are you doing here?"

"Hmm? Shouldn't you know? I'm here as the examiner for those special girls who are coming here."

Xenovia had known that an experienced exorcist would come to administer the assessment, but she hadn't realized that it would be her old mentor. "I – I thought you resigned!"

"Oh, I did. That's probably why Michael-san picked me for this secret mission. The Church keeps a close eye on its strongest exorcists, but they don't bother with those not on active duty."

"O – Oh –"

Griselda chuckled. "Relax, I'm not here to scold you again." She turned to Irina. "Warrior Irina. It's good to see that you're still partners with my troublesome ward even after all these years." She bowed politely.

Irina returned the bow. "It's an honor to meet one of the strongest female exorcists. I aspire to one day be like you."

Pleasantries done, the older woman smiled. "I hear you two helped a lot during that incident with the stolen Excaliburs. Well done. I had thought the higher-ups were making a mistake, sending only two exorcists, and such young ones at that, but it all seems to have turned out fine."

Xenovia blushed from the praise. "T – thank you, but we had help . . ."

Griselda tutted. "Don't say that like it's a bad thing. Finding allies and making use of them is crucial in any warrior's career. It's better to swallow your pride and ask for help than it is to be a stubborn idiot who winds up dead." She smiled gently. "And even if you can be a bit of an idiot at times, you're _my_ idiot, and I would grieve if you died."

Xenovia hung her head in embarrassment at her guardian's words. "O – Oh . . ." she said in a small voice.

While her former student recovered from her meltdown, Griselda turned to Irina. "Now, where are these special girls that I am supposed to be assessing?"

"Ah, they're not here yet," Irina admitted. "It's their first time coming here, so they're running a bit late."

"Is that so? Well, it gives me some time to prepare at least. Let's see what they have here." The veteran exorcist went into the facility in search of equipment.

The clearing fell silent once more. Xenovia was still red with embarrassment, so Irina decided that she should leave her friend alone for a bit.

 **Rustle, rustle.**

"You sure this is the right way? All I see are plants, plants, and more plants."

"Quit your whining, lover-girl. I told ya I know what I'm doing."

"Have you ever used a map before?"

". . . Don'tcha worry about that."

"What?! You're probably just leading us in circles. Gimme the map!"

"No way! Last time you had the map, we _did_ end up going in circles for an hour!"

"Let's not fight, okay? I think this is the right way; I see a clearing up ahead!"

The thicket parted, and three young girls wearing casual clothing stumbled out. Looking around, they quickly focused on Irina and Xenovia.

"Hey. You two are who we're supposed to meet with, right?" the red-haired girl asked as she stuffed a map back into her pocket.

"Yes, we are," Irina replied. "But, there's one more –"

"Oh, who do we have here?"

Griselda walked out of the training facility, her arms filled with various exorcist weaponry, including light swords, guns, and holy water. Upon seeing her mentor carrying such a heavy burden, Xenovia shot up and moved to her aid. "Here, let me help."

"Well, aren't you such a dear?" Griselda nonchalantly dumped the entire pile into her protégé's arms, causing Xenovia's knees to buckle under the weight. "Don't drop them, now. These are _very_ expensive to mass produce, you know?"

"Y – y – yes, S – S – Sister Griselda – !"

As Irina began running to _her_ aid, the veteran exorcist turned to survey the new arrivals. "I am Griselda Quarta, a former exorcist. That is my student, Xenovia." She gestured towards the girl struggling with her load. "And that is her friend and partner, Irina." She gestured towards the girl catching items as they fell from her friend's tower of items. "Now, who might you all be?"

"I am Mami Tomoe." The girl who had just introduced herself gestured to her companions. "These are my friends: Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura." She bowed while gesturing for the others to do the same. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, a polite one. I like you already." Griselda chuckled. "So, you three are who I'm supposed to assess?" Her eyes scanned them carefully, noting their postures and the way they held themselves. "It seems you all have a great deal of combat experience already. That is good. Wouldn't want to have been called all the way out here for nothing."

Kyoko scoffed. "Bring it on, lady. We'll ace whatever test ya got for us."

Griselda's smile froze, becoming a jagged, unpleasant thing. "Oh my, it seems you still have a lot to learn before being able to pass as an exorcist. Rule number one." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "You will address others in the proper manner. As a former exorcist, I am more like a nun in status, so you will address me as 'Sister Griselda'. Not 'lady', or anything of the sort."

Kyoko grimaced. "Tch." She backed down in the face of that intense glare. "Fine. Whatever."

Griselda's frown deepened at the younger girl's flippant attitude, but Sayaka hurriedly intervened. "Ahaha, sorry about her," she said with a sheepish expression. "She's had a bad experience with the church."

The older woman's expression softened. "A bad experience?" Her face clouded over as she recalled certain unsavory projects that had slipped under the Church's nose. "I . . . understand. Tell your friend to rein in her disdain, at the very least, or no one will believe that she's a genuine exorcist."

Sayaka nodded hastily. "Right, right."

"In any case, the most important part is that you display proficiency with exorcist weaponry. So that is what I will test you three on." Griselda walked over to the pile of items that the two exorcists had finally sorted and picked up a light sword. She tossed it over her shoulder.

Sayaka reflexively plucked it out of the air. "Hmm?" She peered at it curiously.

"You activate it by pushing the button on the side."

Pressing the button in question, a beam of light shot out of the handle. "Woah, that's cool."

"I'm glad you think so."

The rustle of grass. Mami's panicked voice saying, "Look ou – !"

 **BZZZT!**

"Woah!"

Sayaka just barely managed to block Griselda's light sword. Their blades were locked together, sparks flying as they vied for control. "The heck? You could've killed me!"

The older woman merely smiled. "These light swords were blunted for training purposes. But the fact that you reacted in time to my surprise attack is far more impressive." She gestured with her head towards Xenovia. "Even my student only managed to block me at the end of her training."

Kyoko scowled. "Playing dirty, huh, Sis Griselda? I thought exorcists were supposed to be noble and righteous and all that shit."

Griselda backed away from the engagement as she spared another glare for the foul-mouthed girl. "It's ' _Sister'_ , not 'Sis'. And playing fair when the enemy won't will only get you killed."

"Is that so?" Kyoko grinned. "Well, looks like she's already taken your lesson to heart."

"Hmm – ?!"

Sayaka had taken advantage of her opponent being distracted by conversation to rush in for an attack. Closing rapidly, she dived under her foe's guard –

 **Thump!**

"Tch!"

Despite her best efforts, Griselda reacted too slowly. As she backed away, she winced in pain from the blow on her leg.

"Lucky shot," she said. "Let's see if it happens again."

Sayaka grinned. "I got more where that came from."

Their swords raised once more, they eyed each other carefully as they searched for an opening in the other's defenses. At an unseen cue, they charged at each other once more –

xxx

"She's good."

Irina glanced over with a raised eyebrow at her friend's grudging admittance. "I'm surprised you're complimenting someone so easily."

Xenovia shrugged. "If you'd trained under Sister Griselda, you would know that she is not someone to be trifled with. But that girl is keeping up with her, even scoring some solid hits too. All without any exorcist training."

Michael had told them that the people they would be working with would have "some combat experience", but that was turning out to be a blatant understatement.

They watched the light blades clash together, each collision resounding throughout the clearing. Sayaka's swings were fast, almost unnaturally so. However, her movements were crude and sloppy: a slight overextension there, an excessive turn here – all small mistakes that an opponent could exploit.

In contrast, Griselda moved at a much more natural pace. Her movements were graceful, each step leading into the next, almost as if she were a dancer and the battle was merely a performance. Years of experience allowed her to move with utmost efficiency, attacking and countering without pause. It was only the gap in speed that prevented her from landing a decisive blow.

Another exchange of blows, sparks flying through the air. They both walked a fine line where a single misstep would lead to their loss.

A soft patch of ground was all it took.

A foot slid. Balance was lost. And it all came tumbling down.

"Yield."

Sayaka stared up at the tip of the light sword from where she had fallen on the ground. "You got me," she said with a sigh.

Griselda smiled as she sheathed her weapon and offered a hand to her opponent.

She was breathing heavily, her clothes disheveled from the intense fighting. The other girl fared little better, sweat pouring down her face and using her sword to prop herself up.

"I would've had you if it weren't for that stupid patch of dirt," Sayaka grumbled.

The older woman chuckled. "The environment is unsympathetic; it takes no sides. Rather, _you_ must be the one to get it to work for you." She looked at her meaningfully.

Sayaka blinked as she absorbed that statement. "Oh." A pause. "You lured me onto it."

"Correct. I had analyzed the terrain beforehand and made note of any features that might aid me. I suggest you do the same in the future."

A nod. "So, how'd I do, anyway?"

Griselda paused as she scrutinized the other girl. "You are fast. Inhumanly so."

Sayaka stared back without flinching. "So you noticed, huh?"

Griselda frowned. "Is it because of a Sacred Gear?"

Sayaka paused. "If Michael-san didn't tell you, then I won't either."

". . . Very well then," she said. "You clearly know your way around a blade. A true exorcist would be skilled with all her tools, but for our purposes, your swordsmanship will suffice." She glanced at the other two girls. "Which one of you will be next?"

Mami stepped forward as Sayaka took her spot on the sidelines. "If proficiency in only one of the weapons is required, then I would like to use the guns instead."

Griselda cocked her head. "Firearms? Interesting choice. We don't have too many specialists in those." She picked up a gun and held it aloft. "These are specially designed to fire light bullets, which are harmful to devils but can be effective against other targets as well." She pointed at the handle. "These guns use a charging mechanism instead of a magazine, so instead of reloading, you wait for it to recharge instead." She tapped the side of the barrel. "There's a slider here that lets you adjust the intensity of the shot. High intensity shots consume more charge, so be careful with aiming those. Finally, there's a counter up here that tells you how many shots you have left at the current intensity level. Understand?"

Mami nodded as she picked up a gun in each hand. "I think so."

"Good. Now, for the sake of my health, please set the intensity to its minimum. At that setting, it should be non-lethal and non-incapacitating, which should be suitable for our spar." The veteran exorcist smiled predatorily. "And just because you're using those doesn't mean I will too. Enemies won't stay at range just because you ask nicely."

The other girl smiled radiantly as she dialed down the charge intensity. "Oh, I am quite accustomed to those types of situations, let me assure you."

As the two of them prepared to face off, Kyoko sniggered and nudged Sayaka. "Hey, hey, how fast do ya think Mami's gonna wipe the floor with her?"

Sayaka frowned. "Don't be too harsh. She's only human, you know?"

"Yeah, but she sure likes talking big." Kyoko pulled out another pack of pocky from somewhere. "I'll bet one minute."

xxx

It only took thirty seconds.

If Sayaka's performance could be considered clumsy, then Mami's was the epitome of grace.

No sooner had the fight started did Griselda find herself immediately barraged by a torrent of light. She desperately tried to parry the oncoming wave, but she felt the sharp sting of pain break out all over her body.

The torrent stopped as the guns ran out of charge. Seeing an opportunity as her opponent tossed the guns aside, she rushed in for a strike –

Cold steel pressed against her temple.

Mami glanced over at the light sword's edge extending past her, a narrow miss. "Yield," she said, keeping the gun she had just whipped out pressed against Griselda's forehead.

The older woman huffed as she backed away. She knew when she was outmatched. "You're making me look bad in front of my pupil," she grumbled.

Mami smiled. "Sorry. But I couldn't let my own students down either."

Griselda's eyes darted between Mami and her companions. "You are their teacher? You seem awfully young for such a role."

"Our harsh reality does not wait for the young to catch up."

Griselda thought of the many exorcists trained to fight evil beings from a young age. "That is true." She sighed. "I suppose you won't tell me the secret to your devilish speed either?"

Mami shook her head. "Apologies. But it's confidential, so to speak."

"The Church sure likes its secrets," the exorcist muttered. "But I suppose I've grown used to it by now." She turned to Kyoko. "Well, you're up now. Don't think I'll be any easier just because your friends went before you."

Kyoko finished her snack and stood up. "Wouldn't dream of it." She walked over to the pile of weaponry and peered at the selection.

"What'll it be? A sword? A gun? Or maybe both?"

Kyoko picked up both a light sword and a gun and weighed them in her hands. After a moment, she grunted and tossed the gun away. Extending the blade, she began waving the sword around in an amateurish fashion.

"Hey, Kyoko? If you want, I can give you some pointers . . . ." Sayaka offered.

"Shove it. I don't need your help for this." Kyoko took her position across from Griselda, her sword awkwardly held out in front of her.

The older woman frowned as she observed her opponent's stance. It was clear that the other girl didn't have any idea how to use a sword. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"It'll be over in fifteen seconds," Kyoko boasted.

xxx

It was over in fifteen seconds.

As soon as the match began, Griselda aggressively rushed forward, using fluid, sweeping strikes to pressure her opponent. Kyoko struggled to defend against the barrage, feeling her control of the battle slip away with each passing second.

As a last-ditch effort, Kyoko ducked under a blow and tried to sweep Griselda's feet out from under her, but the exorcist saw it coming and nimbly sidestepped the attempt. Taking advantage of Kyoko's uneven footing, Griselda smashed her opponent's light sword away, sending it flying next to a tree.

Silence fell over the clearing.

"You might need some training with a sword before you can pass as an exorcist," Griselda finally said.

Kyoko snarled. "Like hell I do!" She turned away, her hand reaching for something –

Sayaka's eyes widened. "Wait, Kyoko – !"

The girl whirled back around, but in her hands she now clutched a spear with a yellow haft and blood-red tip. "Try me now, why don'tcha?"

Griselda raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of the spear. "Is that a Sacred Gear?"

". . . Sure. Let's go with that," Kyoko said.

The older woman was doubtful of that claim but decided that prying would not lead to any answers. "Very well. Some exorcists train to use their Sacred Gear as their weapon of choice, so I will accept it."

Mami and Sayaka both relaxed once they realized that Kyoko had not spilled their secret. "That idiot," Sayaka muttered. "She didn't need to go that far."

"It's probably a point of pride for her, considering that the two of us gave Griselda-san to a run for her money at least," Mami said.

"Hope she remembers to hold back a little. That woman's good, but she's still just human."

The two combatants readied themselves for one last bout, their eyes carefully observing each facet of their opponent's movement. Their bodies shifted, and the two of them dashed at each other –

"You're mine!"

After only a brief exchange of blows, Kyoko's weapon disconnected, revealing the set of interlocking chains hidden beneath her weapon's exterior. Now armed with a makeshift metal whip, she snagged Griselda's extended blade and _ripped_ it out of her opponent's hand, sending the light sword flying.

It landed with a plop right next to Kyoko's light sword on the outskirts of the clearing.

Reforming her weapon, she pointed its tip at Griselda's throat. "How'd ya like that?" she taunted.

Despite the provocation, the older woman did not rise to the bait.

"You pass," she said simply before turning and walking away. "While proper exorcist training would cover many more areas, the combat skills you have all shown today is sufficient for this façade."

Sayaka walked up and gave Kyoko a fist bump while Mami approached and politely bowed. "Thank you for your time, Sister Griselda."

Griselda chuckled. "I see you learn quickly. That is good; there's one more thing before I send you all on your way."

Sayaka glanced over curiously. "Huh? There's more?"

The exorcist went into the training facility and came back out with a huge stack of papers that she plopped onto the ground.

"Studying," she announced.

Sayaka froze at that dreaded word.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO – !"

xxx

"They're strong."

"Yes, I could tell." Irina rolled her eyes at her partner's words. "They beat Sister Griselda, of course they're strong!"

The two young exorcists watched on in silent amusement as the others sat down in the grass, pouring over the papers that Griselda had brought out. They were files detailing the various important people in the Church, people that every exorcist should know.

Dulio Gesualdo.

Vasco Strada.

The Pope.

Failing to recognize any of these legendary figures would immediately cast suspicion on them, which would jeopardize the mission.

Speaking of which . . .

"Do you really think we can do it?" Xenovia asked. "Purging the Church of its corruption?"

Irina could hear the doubt in her friend's voice. And she didn't blame her; after all, all their life they had been taught that the Church was righteous, that the Church was just, and that the Church could do no wrong.

And in the span of a few weeks, they had learned that not only had the Church _lied_ to them for all their lives but that it was riddled with corrupt officials and greedy clergyman who cared more about themselves than the Word of God.

"If you don't believe that you can succeed, then you will always fail."

The two of them immediately shot up and stood at attention. "S – S – Sister Griselda!" Xenovia stammered. "I – I thought you were helping the others –"

The older woman smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, they're fine. Well, one of them at least . . . ."

She recalled a scene that had taken place a few minutes ago.

" _Why does the Pope's profile only have his title?"_

 _Mami was staring intently at the paper in question. Her question was a common one for those unfamiliar with the Church. Which would only draw more suspicion if she did not know the answer._

" _It is because he gave up his name a long time ago," Griselda replied. She smiled sadly. "It was a form of penance, he claimed. For the sins that he had committed in the past." She paused. "No one quite knew what he was referring to, but everyone got used to it eventually."_

" _I see." Mami's eyes were still glued to the paper. "I will keep that in mind."_

 _Meanwhile, Kyoko's motivation for this activity could only be described as absolute zero._

" _ARGHHHHHH why do I have to remember the names and faces of a buncha old geezers?! Half of them don't make any sense anyway!"_

 _Mami sighed as she turned to her friend. "They only sound strange because they're foreign. And you need to remember them for the mission, remember?"_

 _Sayaka chuckled weakly. "Maybe we should just let you do all the talking, Mami. Memorizing never was my strong suit, and I don't think Kyoko over there is faring any better . . . ."_

"Is it really okay if only one of them can recognize the important church members?" Irina asked.

"Well, they have you two girls to help them out as well, so I'm sure you'll all be just fine!" She glanced at her pupil. "As long as you have a little faith in yourself and each other, victory will always be within reach." She sighed. "Although perhaps that doesn't sound too encouraging coming from me, considering my rather poor showing out there."

"N – No! You did great!" Xenovia said.

"Oh?" Griselda raised an eyebrow. "That Kyoko girl certainly wiped the floor with me pretty quick. The polite one wasn't too far off either."

"That doesn't matter!" her pupil insisted.

"And why is that?"

"Because . . ." She swallowed. "They're – they're not quite human."

Irina was surprised. "Not human? What do you mean by that?"

"After watching them fight, I thought they felt . . . fake. Artificial. Like there was something helping them. Something that pushed them beyond the realm of humans."

"And to you, does that change anything?" Griselda asked.

"No. I will still work with them for the mission. But the fact that you stood up against them at all is worthy of praise."

"So what you're saying is that they're so strong that losing to them is not a failing on Sister Griselda's part," Irina summarized.

Xenovia ducked her head. "Y – Yeah."

The veteran exorcist chuckled and rubbed her student's head. "It's nice of you to stand up for me. But I already knew that something wasn't quite right about my opponents."

"Should we investigate . . . ?" Irina asked.

Griselda shook her head. "They have Michael-san's trust. So I will give them the benefit of the doubt."

The two younger exorcists looked at each other and decided to trust in their senior's decision. "Then we'll look past it as well," Xenovia said.

"Good. One more thing . . ." Griselda said. "If you're beginning to doubt yourself, the best way to restore your conviction is to remind yourself of _why_ you fight." She looked at them intensely. "Why do you fight?" she asked.

"To protect people!" Xenovia immediately answered.

Her mentor frowned. "A vague answer. Who exactly are you protecting?"

"Uh . . . everyone?"

The frown grew deeper. "Foolish girl. You cannot protect _everyone_. In a conflict, there are two sides, and aiding one requires you to sacrifice the other. There is no world in which you can save _everyone_."

"Then . . . the Church," Xenovia amended.

Griselda smiled sadly. "That was my answer too, once upon a time," she said forlornly.

"Does that have to do with why you resigned?" Irina asked.

"Yes. I resigned becauseof the corruption I saw spreading through the Church." She sighed. "I looked upon the horrors I was protecting and asked myself; is this really what I want to be fighting for? And, well, you can guess what answer I arrived at."

The two younger exorcists looked at each other with troubled expressions. "Then, where does that leave us? If you didn't think it was worth it, then . . . ." Irina trailed off.

"Well, it's different now, isn't it? You two have a chance now." Griselda beamed at them like a proud parent. "To cleanse the corruption the infesting the Church. To turn it back into something worth believing in, something _worth fighting for_." Her eyes hardened. "Don't expect it to be easy. But in the mind, I think you'll find it to have been worth it."

Reinvigorated by her mentor's words, Xenovia stood up straighter. "You're right! We have a chance, and we're not going to waste it!" She dashed off into the distance, yelling something about training all night to prepare for the mission.

Griselda chuckled as she watched her student speed off. "Silly girl. You won't get people to change their minds through violence alone." She sighed. "Well, at least she'll tire herself out enough that she won't have any trouble falling asleep. I know how bad pre-mission jitters can be."

Irina turned and bowed to her. "Thank you for your assistance on this mission, Sister Griselda. I'm sure Xenovia is grateful as well even if she –" She made an annoyed expression. " – isn't quite here to express it."

Griselda laughed and waved it off. "Oh, don't worry. I am quite used to the antics of that apprentice of mine." She folded her arms. "And save your thanks. I am quite invested in the outcome of this mission as well." She gazed off into the distance. "Maybe it's not too late for me yet . . . ." she muttered.

Irina was confused. "Not too late for what?"

"Oh, it's nothing. But I really should go check on the progress of my much more _recent_ students." Griselda began heading back towards the center of the clearing.

"AH, SCREW IT. YOU CAN BE THE PEOPLE PERSON, MAMI, BUT I'M NOT STARING AT THESE CRAPPY FACES ANY LONGER!"

Griselda sighed.

"Oh, dear."

xxx

There were many things Michael had done for his Father, the original God.

Acting as a tour guide had not been one of them.

"Oh! Oh! What's that over there?"

"That is Saint Peter's Basilica, Madoka-sama. Its construction dates back to the Renaissance era, and it is regarded as one of the holiest churches in the world."

The two of them were in Vatican City, disguised as simple tourists. The goddess had been bouncing around various locations for the past hour, eagerly pointing out points of interests and inquiring about them. He was not the most well-versed in the affairs of mortals, but he did his best to answer anyway.

However, it was quite clear to him that Madoka had not decided to come out here merely to see the attractions.

She was watching the people.

Even as she gestured wildly to a famous statue or a renowned building, he could see her eyes dart around, watching the crowd around her: a group of tourists rushing by, a priest preaching in the streets, a vendor peddling his wares –

She noticed them all.

He knew that she wasn't really paying attention when he answered her inquiries, but he played along anyway. Because he knew that's what she wanted him to do – to play the part of tourist so that they may go unnoticed.

When they sat down in a restaurant and placed orders for lunch, Michael found the chance to speak his mind.

"Are you enjoying the view, Madoka-sama?"

She smiled as she looked at him. An outside observer might have assumed he was talking about the attractions, but they both knew he was referring to something else.

"It's quite lovely! The city is very beautiful, but the people are all so . . . busy." Her smile dampened. "I would've thought the center of the Church would feel more like a community, but it seems more like a – a _business_."

Michael nodded. "The Church teaches strict discipline to its followers; it is no surprise that so many have incorporated that into their lifestyles."

She sighed. "That makes sense. But I think it's a bit sad how _stagnant_ it felt. Like people were going about their daily lives without a sense of purpose or direction. Like they didn't have any hope left . . . ."

There was nothing he could say to that. God's death had never been revealed to the masses, but even so, His passing had left a shadow over all of them. Even those unaware of the supernatural might have felt that something was wrong, that the bright, cheery days they had been enjoying had suddenly come to an end.

And with Heaven in such a sorry state, Michael had grown short-sighted, dismissing the faithful left behind in favor of his grieving brethren.

In a way, the current problems that plagued the Church were his fault, spawned by his negligence. They were yet another mistake, another regret he had to bear.

The waiter came with their food, and the two of them ate in silence, both preoccupied by their brooding thoughts.

"WHAT?! You're lying, you have to be!"

"Look, girl, you're the one who said you wanted to know. Whether you believe it or not is none of my concern. And keep your voice down, will you? We're done here."

Across from them, a man stood up from a table, sending furtive gazes in several directions before scampering away towards the back exit, leaving behind a young nun who looked like she was going into shock.

"It can't be true . . . it can't be true . . . it can't be true . . . ." she muttered.

Michael wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point, Madoka had gotten up and approached the stricken woman, talking to her in a soft, calming voice.

"Hello, Miss? Are you alright?"

The nun looked up, a wild, crazed look in her eyes. She grabbed the goddess by the shoulders, speaking in a lost, desperate voice. "Please. Tell me it's not true. Tell me it's not true!"

He had risen out of his chair, ready to come to her aid, but a single look from Madoka told him to back down.

"Tell you what? That what's not true?" the goddess asked softly.

The woman's pupils dilated, becoming yawning, soulless voids.

"That God is dead."

He could feel the very air in the diner freeze. To directly state, no, to even _suggest_ such a thing in the very heart of the Church was grounds for excommunication, if not worse.

He didn't know how the nun had learned of their great secret, but he suspected that dubious character who had swiftly vacated the premises a few moments prior had something to do with it.

But there was no time to chase after the man; they had a far more pressing concern to deal with.

He saw Madoka's eyes widen in surprise, saw her flounder about wordlessly. He knew the dilemma she faced at that moment: would she tell a white lie, spread a fragile, false hope? Or would she force the woman to confront the harsh truth, a horrible, terrible realization?

". . . I'm sorry."

The nun stared back at her, abject despair written all over her face. Her arms slumped to her sides and her head sunk down, watery droplets slowly dripping to the floor.

"B – But!" Madoka gripped the woman's shoulders tightly, comfortably. "It's okay! There's someone else in Heaven – someone who will care for you and love you just as much!"

The woman's head slowly raised. ". . . Someone else?"

"Y – Yes!" Madoka tried to beam, but it came out forced, unnatural. "S – She's a bit new, but I'm sure that with enough time, she'll become just as great of a god!"

The nun was silent. When she finally spoke, her voice was completely empty, utterly desolate.

". . . So you're saying . . . I've been praying to someone else this whole time?"

Madoka's smile faltered. "W – Well, not necessarily –"

". . . My belief was misplaced . . . all this time?"

"That's not – that's not –!"

". . . My whole life . . . was a lie?"

"N – No –!"

The woman screamed, a shrill, piercing screech that drilled all the way down into the Underworld.

He saw it when her muscles tensed, when her hand raised in preparation for an act of wild, uncontrolled anger –

Years of battle experience kicked in, and he was there before he knew it.

"Please control yourself, ma'am," he whispered, gripping her arm firmly. "There are other guests here."

Her eyes met his, and he could see the fiery anger in them extinguish, leaving behind only dull, lifeless coals. Seeing that she had calmed down, he let go of her, and she slumped back into the booth she had been sitting at, an utterly forlorn expression on her face.

He turned back to Madoka. "We should go."

Her head slowly swiveled towards him, and in that moment, Michael bore witness to something that should never have happened.

The face of Hope –

Drenched in the agony of despair.

xxx

"You might encounter some very interesting visitors soon, Fr –"

He looked up and glared at that wretched man standing in his doorway. Upon seeing his venomous gaze, the target of his ire laughed and held up a hand in a placating gesture. "Apologies. It was merely a slip of the tongue."

It wasn't a slip-up, and both of them knew it.

The Pope inwardly sighed. If _he_ was coming in and deliberately trying to annoy him, that meant he was trying to unbalance him so he could more easily coerce something out of him later.

"And what do you mean by that, Astaroth-san?" he asked, barely hiding his distaste underneath a thin veil of politeness.

"You may be used to evading the gaze of the Heavenly Host, but now the agents they're sending might seem a bit more human. In appearance, at least."

He frowned. "Are you talking about exorcists? No exorcist would defy me, and those who do soon learn the error of their ways."

"No, not those fanatical warriors you love so much. This is something new. What was the term my 'friend' used?" Astaroth tapped his chin. " _A vessel for a lost soul_. That was what it was."

"A vessel for a soul?" The Pope was taken aback. "Do they plan to disturb the eternal rest of those who have ascended to Heaven?!"

"Nothing so grandiose, I would assume. If they had the gall to do such a thing, they would make an enemy out of many of the other pantheons. Hades, for one, wouldn't appreciate his domain being encroached on. Several others are sworn to uphold the balance of the world, and they wouldn't take such a brazen action kindly either."

"Then what could your 'friend' have possibly been talking about?"

"I am as lost as you are, friend. I just thought that I might drop by and let you know. A bit of a freebie, so to speak." The diabolical man grinned. "Of course, you can always just send them my way when they arrive, and I'll deal with them for you. Haven't I been most _efficient_ in dealing with certain wayward individuals?"

The Pope was silent. He knew what the other man was talking about. Certain members of the Church had gotten too close for comfort to the truth of God's death and had to be removed.

And while the men he controlled were fanatical in their loyalty, he had doubts about their ability to kill someone they were meant to protect. Not to mention, they had no training in cleaning up afterward to remove any trace of the deed.

A third party was the most ideal solution. And Astaroth had performed quite admirably in that regard. The target would be sent on a mission, and they would never come back. An investigation would be held, but the body would never be found, and thus the victim would be marked as missing forever.

He never asked him how he did it. He didn't want to know. It was cowardly of him, to hide behind such blissful ignorance, but he felt that crossing that line, that learning of the deaths of those he sent to _die_ would cause this façade he had built up to start _crashing down –_

His men had already apprehended another one. An info-broker, tempting others with a serpentine tongue into buying his twisted secrets. He was the worst kind of offender, the kind that required him to sentence innocents caught up in his pursuit of greed. He would have to round up anyone else that the man might have possibly influenced.

And in the meantime, he already had two more in mind. Two more that needed to die for the sake of maintaining God's legacy.

He sighed tiredly. How many more needed to die? How many more did he need to kill?

He wasn't sure if he would ever get an answer to that question.

But back to the conversation at hand. "I will consider it. If such actions are necessary, I will be sure to let you know."

"Of course, of course. But I was wondering how _your_ end of the deal has been progressing. I am a patient man, but even I won't wait forever, you know?"

The Pope scowled. This was what the other man had been after all along. "Things are going well enough. I've already sent for her to be lured towards the location we agreed upon. Now we must simply wait for her to come to us."

The other man looked skeptical. "Merely a summons? She might ignore it, you know? After all, why would she listen to the Church that banished her in the first place?"

"She willcome," he promised. " _No one_ ignores a personal request from the Pope. Especially if it concerns possibly reverting her excommunication."

Astaroth laughed, a wicked, unpleasant sound. "What a carrot to dangle in front of our quarry's nose! For someone like her, it should prove to be more than enough." He turned around. "I am satisfied for now, so I shall be taking my leave. Good day to you, Pope-sama."

"Farewell to you as well."

As the door closed on the (un)welcome intruder, the Pope slumped back in his seat. He opened his desk and pulled out a certain image.

"What is it about you, that makes this bitter taste of regret well up within me so?" he muttered aloud.

The deity's visage gave no replay, but the longer he gazed at her smiling face, the more he felt at ease until for a moment, he could forget that he was a sinful man, that he was the Pope who was more depraved than Satan himself.

The feeling passed, and he tucked the photo back into his desk.

xxx

"Akemi-san! Akemi-san! Look!"

Homura looked up from her homework to find Asia bounding over to her, waving an envelope in the air. "What is it?"

"It's a letter from the Church! They said they're revoking my excommunication!"

Homura raised an eyebrow. "What caused this change of heart?"

"They said that after reviewing my years of service as a Holy Maiden, they thought I deserved a second chance." Asia twirled about with happiness. "The Pope himself is going to be there and personally welcome me back!"

"Is he now? I suppose I should offer my congratulations then." Homura began to turn back to her work before an idle thought occurred to her. "Where is the ceremony going to be held?"

"O – Oh . . ." Asia faltered at that question. "T – They didn't actually tell me yet. They said they would send more instructions soon."

"Really? I thought they would have finished arranging things if they sent you that letter."

"W – Well it doesn't matter! I can wait a bit longer."

"I suppose a few more days won't make a difference. Speaking of the ceremony . . ." Homura paused. She didn't usually do something like this, but Madoka's words stuck to her like glue. "Would you like me to attend?"

Asia clasped her hands together. "I would love it if you could! B – But the thing is . . ." She wilted. "The letter said to not invite anyone to come along."

Suddenly, Homura had a bad feeling about this. "Is that so? A strange request; after all, your dismissal from the Church was quite the public affair, and if they are to properly make reparations, they would need to make your re-indoctrination public as well."

The nun shifted nervously. "A – Ah I'm sure they have their reasons! Anyway, I just thought that I would let you know since I'll probably be leaving soon, and . . ." Her body snapped into a bow. "Thank you for taking care of me for all this time, Akemi-san!"

Homura, still preoccupied with her instincts blaring at her that something was wrong, simply gave an indifferent nod. "It was no trouble," she said absentmindedly.

After bowing a few more times, Asia scurried out of the room, leaving Homura to brood.

 _This is none of my business,_ one part of her claimed.

 _It's exactly that kind of thinking that leaves us all alone in the end. And we're trying to fix that, aren't we?_ Another part argued.

 _We're not alone; we have Madoka!_

 _And it was Madoka who wished for us to branch out and connect with others. Do you wish to disobey her?_

 _. . . Fine._

At last, Homura decided.

"Argento-san said she couldn't invite anyone," she muttered. "She didn't say she couldn't let anyone follow her."

With that in mind, Homura turned back to her homework.

The upcoming assignment was likely going to take a while, so she was going to work ahead a bit.


	10. Is iron poison, see

Sayaka thought that pretending to be an exorcist would be easy.

After all, weren't they heroes of justice, defenders of humanity? That was a role she had down pat!

Unfortunately, the job wasn't nearly as glamorous as she would've thought.

They had left on their mission earlier than they were supposed to (mainly because Kyoko had been egging them on to _get a move on already_ and they had eventually acceded to the girl's demands), and now they were creeping through the town, guided by the moon's soft rays.

"This is so stupid," she grumbled under her breath. "We're the good guys! Why do we have to be skulking in these alleyways?"

Kyoko gave her a look. It was the vaunted 'Are you stupid?' look that Sayaka had seen directed towards her far more times than she would care to admit.

"Didya think we'd be vaulting over rooftops or something?" she asked. "We're the _supernatural_ , Rookie. We're not supposed to be parading around in the open like a bunch of peacocks with our heads shoved up our asses."

"Well, at the very least, can't we use the sidewalks like normal people?"

Her friend rolled her eyes. "Take a good look at us and tell me if _you_ wouldn't be worried to see this group pass by you at night."

Sayaka glanced back at the others. Mami, Xenovia, and Irina were keeping pace with them, and they were all wearing hooded cloaks that obscured their features. Hooded cloaks that absolutely no normal people would be wearing.

"It wouldn't be a problem if we didn't have to wear these stupid cloaks," she muttered.

Another eye-roll. "Blame it on their 'standard operating procedure' or whatever it was. What I don't get though . . ." She jabbed a finger towards the bona fide exorcists among them. "Is why we need these babysitters to come along on the mission."

Irina responded coolly, "Because technically, you three are _new_ exorcists, albeit well-trained ones. It's only natural that the higher-ups would want us to supervise you all on your first official mission."

"Pfffft. We can take care of ourselves, Pigtails."

Irina's eye twitched at her new moniker. "I have no doubt that you can, but this is necessary for the sake of appearances." She frowned. "You would also do well to curb your language a little. Many of the church members don't take well to profanity or nicknames."

Kyoko shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Sis Griselda already gave me an earful about that." She glanced back. "But it's not like anyone here cares how I talk, so it's fine, right?"

"I do care," Mami interjected.

"Ya mean you _did_ care. I think you gave up on instilling 'proper manners' in me after the second week I spent with you."

As their group began bickering with each other, Xenovia silenced them all with a glare. "Enough. We're here."

They all stopped and turned to look at the dilapidated structure before them. It was a two-story apartment building that had long since been abandoned, with its paint peeling off and graffiti scrawled all over its walls.

"Right, so, um . . . how does this go again? Just to make sure," Sayaka asked.

"The mission is to go into that building and exterminate the Stray Devils that have taken up residence in there," Irina explained. "Although this is supposed to be your mission, since this is your first time fighting Stray Devils, Xenovia and I will come along and help–"

"Nah, it's cool. We got this. You two can just stay out here while we clean house," Kyoko interrupted with a grin.

Irina frowned. "Are you sure? I know you three are quite capable, but there's no harm in having more helping hands."

"Trust me, Pigtails; you'd just get in the way."

The exorcist looked extremely irritated at the accusation but held her temper. ". . . Alright, then. Since you seem so confident in yourself."

"What exactly are Stray Devils?" Mami asked. "I don't believe that this was explained, and it seems important to know about our targets in advance."

Irina blinked. "Oh, right. You three aren't all that familiar with the other factions, are you?" She sighed. "Well, Stray Devils are essentially –"

"Rabid dogs," Xenovia finished.

"Yes . . . that is an apt comparison," Irina admitted. "They are devils who have gone mad with power and broken free from their master's control. Without their king to keep their demonic energies in check, they become overwhelmed by their own power, warped into vicious, cruel monstrosities. The only recourse left is to put them down."

"So . . . monsters, then?" Kyoko looked completely relaxed despite their imminent descent into danger. "We know how to deal with those."

"Monsters come in all shapes and sizes," Irina warned. "Don't assume that what you're familiar with will be in any way similar to what you're about to face."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your panties in a twist, Pigtails."

The exorcist grimaced once more at her unwelcome nickname. "In any case, you should get started. Don't do anything stupid."

"Good luck," Xenovia simply said.

Giving the exorcists a final nod, the three magical girls ventured into the building.

xxx

". . . It stinks," Sayaka complained.

Kyoko turned to her with an arched eyebrow. "You think this is bad? You ain't _seen_ some of the hellholes I've had to hole up in during the winter."

"Enough, you two," Mami said. "We're on a mission here."

The three of them crept through desolate hallways, debris strewn along the path in a haphazard pattern. Wooden doors lined the walls, their hinges rusted from lack of use. Away from the prying eyes of the exorcists, Kyoko had taken out her Soul Gem to hasten their search for their quarry.

She scowled. "Damn thing's fluctuating too much. I can't tell if we're supposed to go up, down, left or right."

Mami frowned. "It is very possible that it _is_ an accurate reading, and that the Stray Devils are spread throughout the building as it suggests."

"Tch. Spread out like an infestation of rats, huh? That'll make cleaning them out much harder." Kyoko held her Soul Gem closer to one of the nearby doors, her scowl deepening when she didn't register a stronger reaction. "Bleh. Checking the doors one at a time will take forever." She gave them a calculating gaze. "Why don't we split up? It'll make this go a heck of a lot faster."

"Split up?" Sayaka asked. "Are you sure that's a good idea? We won't be able to help each other if something goes wrong."

"Aren't we all used to working solo anyway? And since the exorcists didn't come along, that means we can cheat a bit and use our magic. Besides, even if we die, we'll just wake up in Heaven, y'know?"

Sayaka crossed her arms. "That's why you told the exorcists to wait outside, didn't you? So you could go all out with your magic."

"Hey, it's been a while. Don't blame a girl for wanting to stretch her muscles once in a while."

Mami considered the idea. "It would be more efficient to split up," she agreed. "Having all three of us in one area is overkill. And we could still remain in contact with our telepathy."

"Wait, telepathy?" Sayaka was puzzled. "I thought we needed Kyubey for that."

"Nah, we can do it without that rat bastard. Just a lot harder," Kyoko answered.

Mami nodded absently as she surveyed the surrounding area. "Indeed. However, splitting up three ways is unnecessarily risky. Two of us should stick together and handle the areas with a higher concentration of enemies, while the other one should clear out the less dangerous spots."

"Dibs on lone wolf," Kyoko immediately said.

Sayaka rolled her eyes. "Of course. Guess that means I'm with Mami, then?"

Mami nodded. "In that case, the only question now is where each group should go." She turned to Kyoko. "Can you sense which direction has the highest concentration of magical energy? That will likely be the path with the most enemies."

Kyoko stared hard at her Soul Gem. "It's kinda hard to tell . . . but I think I'm getting more feedback from up top?" She looked up. "Yeah, pretty sure topside is where all the jazz is coming from."

"In that case, Miki-san and I will handle the second floor while you finish up the first floor. How does that sound?"

"Sure, whatever." Kyoko turned around and walked off. "Give me a holler if ya need me to bail you guys out."

As her back disappeared into the darkness, Sayaka turned to Mami. "Well, we should get going too. We got a lot of doors to check, too."

" _Yes, that is true."_

Sayaka's eyes widened. "Woah! Is that you, Mami?!"

A smile. " _Why, yes it is. It seems I established the link successfully."_

" _That's so cool! You gotta teach me how to do it sometime."_

" _Would you two keep it down? I don't need two old ladies prattling in my head while I'm trying to fight,"_ a grouchy voice said.

" _Chill out,"_ Sayaka replied. " _We're just testing to make sure it works."_

" _Yeah, yeah, now that you got your testing done with you might wanna get to work so we can get out of this shithole sooner."_

The link faded, and Mami turned to Sayaka with an amused expression. "Well, we better get going then. Kyoko-san can be insufferable when she's in a bad mood."

Sayaka chuckled. "Don't I know it."

xxx

The second floor was a mirror of the first. The same walls, the same doors, although the hallways here were not as cluttered with debris as those on the first.

Mami felt tense. There was danger nearby.

"So, uh, Mami," Sayaka said as she fidgeted nervously next to her. "Should we transform for this? I know that we're not supposed to, but . . . ."

Mami considered the idea. "We will not always have the luxury to be able to freely use our magic, so it would be best if we learned how to fight without it. Use it only as a last resort."

"Right, got it."

They crept through the hallway, keeping close to the walls as they went. Their Soul Gems in hand, they would press them against the doors to check which one held a source of magical energy. After several unsuccessful outcomes, they reached the end of the hallway where Sayaka's Soul Gem began resonating when she held it against the last door on the left.

"Mami!" she hissed. "I think this is it."

Mami quietly stepped over to the other girl and tested the door with her own Soul Gem. After getting the same result, she nodded and began outlining a plan.

"You'll go in first and draw their attention. Mark their locations and send them to me via telepathy, and I'll be able to catch them in a surprise attack. Alright?"

Sayaka nodded. "Yeah got it." She took a deep breath, then she busted through the door with a battle cry.

Upon entering the room, the first thing she saw were two people wearing church garb surrounding what seemed to be a glowing sword on a table. They spun around at her appearance, clearly caught off-guard.

"What?! What are you doing here?!" One of them asked. He peered closely at her. "You weren't supposed to be here yet. Those damn bastards must have gotten careless."

Sayaka, meanwhile, was equally confused.

" _Um, Mami? I'm pretty sure these guys aren't who we're looking for."_

" _What? Who are they?"_

" _They look like people from the church. Maybe exorcists? Although they seem to be wearing something different from us."_

" _. . . Suspicious. Keep them talking and see if they know anything about the Stray Devils."_

"Why are you guys here?" Sayaka demanded. "We got orders to clear out Stray Devils in this area, but there was no mention of other people from the Church being here. And what the heck are you talking about?"

The mysterious figures remained silent until one of them spoke in a resigned voice. "Guess we have no choice. We can't let anyone find out we were here." He unsheathed his light sword. "Sorry kid, but you're going to have to die."

His colleague's face was grim as he followed suit, getting into a battle-ready stance.

Sayaka's eyes darted between her two opponents. She had no qualms with exterminating evil beings, but these were fellow humans!

" _It seems they're giving us no choice,"_ Mami said. " _I have my guns set to stun, so if you keep them distracted, we should be able to end this quickly."_

" _Roger that."_

Her two opponents shot at her recklessly, clearly expecting their numerical advantage to be able to overwhelm her easily. She backed away, angling herself so that one of them was slightly in front of the other and thus making it harder for them to attack her simultaneously.

The first man reached her, swinging at her widely. She easily blocked the telegraphed blow, and despite the attack leaving him wide open, she didn't attempt a counterattack.

After all, all she had to do was get them in a position where Mami could easily ambush them.

The second man quickly advanced as his teammate recovered, raining blows with far more discipline and accuracy. She slowly backed up as she parried each strike, each step taking them closer and closer to the door.

Her back hit the wall, and her opponent seized the chance when he saw that she could no longer soften his blows by backing away.

"It's the end for you!" He yelled as he brought his blade down in one final blow.

 **Bzzzt!**

The man crumpled over, collapsing in a heap at Sayaka's feet.

The other man, who had kept his distance to not get in the way of his friend's onslaught, was startled. "Wha – ?"

 **Bzzzt!**

He, too, fell to the floor unconscious.

Mami stepped into the room, holstering the pistols she had just used to take the men out. "Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Sayaka prodded the fallen man with her foot. "They certainly weren't who I was expecting, that's for sure." She looked at Mami. "Was our info wrong? Are there no Stray Devils here, after all?"

The other girl pursued her lips. "It certainly seems unlikely, given that exorcists and devils seem to be natural enemies." She glanced at the glowing sword and walked towards it. "This must be the source of that magical energy we sensed earlier." She picked it up and examined it. While its shape was vaguely that of a sword, it was far more jagged than normal, with sharp tips and cruel edges that gave it a sinister vibe.

Sayaka walked next to her and peered at it curiously. "Looks important. Maybe we should bring it with us?"

"Yes. Perhaps Shidou-san and Quarta-san will know more about it." She held it out to Sayaka. "It would be best if you held on to it. It would just be dead weight in my hands," she said with a smile.

Sayaka accepted it gingerly. "Uh, well, I'm not too sure how well I can use it." She gave it a few practice swings. "The balance is all off. It looks like a sword, but it sure doesn't _feel_ like one. I would use a light sword over this any day."

"In any case, we should regroup with Kyoko-san to discuss our findings." Mami tapped her head as she brought up the telepathic link. " _Kyoko-san? How are things on your end?"_

She waited. The silence stretched on, broken only by the sound of Sayaka fidgeting with her new sword.

" _Kyoko-san? Hello? Can you hear me?"_

" _Wait, is Kyoko not responding, Mami?"_

" _. . . I'm afraid not. Which is strange. Our connection was fine just a while ago, and this building should not be big enough that we would get out of range."_

Sayaka was inwardly panicking. " _Did something happen to her?! Maybe there were Stray Devils here after all, and she ran into all of them by herself?! Ah, geez, I knew splitting up was a bad idea!"_

She rushed out the door, her face set in a grim line as she dashed off to rescue her friend.

" _Wait, Miki-san –!"_

Mami cursed under her breath when the other girl didn't slow down even a little at her call. She glanced back into the room, weighing whether she could spare the time to use her magic to tie the unconscious men up for later –

Moments later, she, too, was out the door, her feet pounding heavily against the floorboards.

If either of her friends was hurt because of her tardiness, she would never forgive herself.

xxx

Kyoko sighed as she stepped away from another door. "Another dud. Man, if it turns out that there's nothing down here and the other two get to have all the fun, I'm gonna be seriously fucking pissed."

She had checked all the doors on the first floor, but none of them hid anything magical behind them. Which was strange, because her Soul Gem was definitely telling her that there was a lot of magic in the area.

"Maybe I'm missing something? Like a hidden room or something," she mused to herself.

She took another step forward and almost tripped over a section of the floor that seemed a little higher than the rest.

"Gah!"

Peeved, she scraped some dust away to reveal what looked like a trapdoor. Eyes widening, she held her Soul Gem towards it . . .

The flashing red told her all she needed to know.

"Hell yeah! Knew I was missing something!"

She wrenched open the door, which gave way surprisingly easily considering how long it had supposedly been unused.

Coughing from the dust, Kyoko peered down into the basement. There were lights on; someone must be inside.

"Shoulda known that these damn devils would prefer something like this hellhole for a hiding spot."

Slowly, she crept down the stairs under the guidance of the dim lighting. Every part of her was on high alert; she was in enemy territory, and a single mistake could prove fatal.

She relished the feeling. The _thrill_ of hunting, of being the predator. And if the prey put up a good fight, all the better.

She reached the bottom of the stairwell. Pressing herself against the wall, she peeked around the corner.

She almost regretted it.

"Heyyyyy . . . whennnnn doooo youuuu thinkkk we'lllll gettttt too playyyyyy?"

The only word that could describe them was monsters.

No, that was far too kind.

Abominations would be a better term.

"Enough of your whining, brat," a cold voice answered. "Our _guests_ shouldn't be here for a while yet, so settle down. You make such a mess with your antics, and I am _not_ cleaning up after you again."

She was probably beautiful, once. If you only looked at her face, then you might be able to keep thinking that.

But everything below her neck was warp and twisted, inhuman beyond measure.

Her legs were jet-black, long, and spindly. Just like spider legs. Although, from what Kyoko could tell from a glance, she had way more than just eight of them.

She didn't have arms. Instead, she had quivering tentacles that snaked around her body, constantly brushing against her surroundings like a set of feelers. Wherever they touched, a slimy, gooey substance was left behind.

Her torso was like a tree stalk, stiff and upright. Her skin (if it could even be called that) was scaly, tough and leathery. With those tentacles that looked like wildly waving branches and legs that looked up uprooted roots, she looked like some kind of evil, monstrous tree come alive.

"Awwwwwww."

Her partner was even worse. It was huge, its bulk taking up most of the room. It had only one eye, a blood-shot, grime-crusted thing that darted to and fro. Its mouth was a giant cavern of gnashing teeth, still chewing on the remains of some poor soul.

Its arms were small, almost stubby compared to its girth. They seemed absolutely minuscule compared to its giant stomach, a heavy sack that dragged along the floor whenever it moved. Its legs were stout and sturdy, able to bear its impressive weight against all odds.

 _. . . They didn't tell us that Stray Devils could be_ this _messed up!_

As a veteran magical girl, Kyoko had encountered and defeated many witches. She had seen some crazy things in those labyrinths, but most of those experiences were more . . . surreal. Perhaps a bit creepy at times.

Now, this? This was just plain horrific.

 _I can freak out later. For now, I gotta figure out how to take out Fatty and Leggy._

She was doubly glad that the exorcists had not come along because there was no way she was going to be holding back against opponents like _these_. She hadn't been religious in a very long time, but creatures as vile as them stirred up a sort of righteous fury in her.

She transformed, donning her usual combat attire and holding her trusty spear out at the ready.

 _Fatty seems like the slow and bulky type, which should make it easier to avoid. Which means I should go for Leggy first; all those tendrils and legs make her look like a pain to dodge, so I should cut her down before she gets the chance to use them._

Kyoko took a deep breath and crouched down.

"And don't talk with your mouth full. Did your master never teach you proper manners?"

"Harddddd forrrrr masterrrrr toooooo teachhhhh whennnnn IIII eatttt himmmm onnnnn firstttttt dayyyyyy."

"First day? I suppose that would explain your monstrous appearance if you had so much time to mutate."

Distracted by their conversation, the two devils didn't notice as Kyoko slinked closer to them, getting in position for the perfect strike.

"Hmmmmm?" Fatty sniffed the air. "IIII smellll . . . foodddddd."

"Of course you do, you're _eating_ some right now."

"Nooooo . . . _freshhhh_ fooddddd."

In the seconds it took for Leggy to piece together what her partner was saying, Kyoko leaped and struck with feline grace.

 **SLICK!**

Leggy shrieked and fell backward as Kyoko drove her spear forward, through her tentacles and penetrating closer and closer to her heart –

"Got you!" The girl yelled.

 **THWACK!**

Her victory was short-lived, however, as a sudden impact against her back caused her to sail away and crash into the wall.

"Mmmmm, tastessssss goodddddd."

Kyoko looked up to see Fatty leering at her with its eye. It had spat out the remains of its meal, allowing her to see the _massive_ tongue that uncoiled itself from its mouth, its length easily stretching out to be as long as the creature itself.

Leggy hissed as she propped herself back up, her cut tendrils already regenerating. "Glad to see you got off your haunches and actually _did_ something." She turned to Kyoko with a cruel smile. "Now then, little girl, you might have gotten close to killing me there, but I assure you . . ."

Her eyes flattened, becoming serpentine in appearance as her tentacles rushed forward to block off the exit.

"It won't happen again."

Kyoko felt some of her bravado fade in the face of such a sinister glare.

Maybe, just maybe, she was in over her head with this one.

" _Hey, guys? I know you won't let me live this down, but I might need some help down here."_

. . .

" _Guys?"_

Leggy smiled cruelly at her. "What's wrong, little girl? No one's going to interrupt our little playtime together; I made quite sure of that. Whatever communication magic you're using won't get past my barrier."

With her surprise attack ruined, her escape route blocked, and her telepathy cut off, Kyoko could only think of two words to describe her situation.

 _Fuck me._

xxx

Kyoko liked to think that she was a smart fighter.

Wit, cunning, dirty tricks . . . she had all those in spades.

The streets were a good teacher.

And the number one rule for not bleeding out in an alley somehow with a knife between your ribs . . .

Was to not pick fights you couldn't win.

So, she quickly evaluated her odds against two massive opponents with unknown capabilities in an enclosed space and decided that she found her odds wanting.

"See, I'd love to play with you two, but I'll have to pass this time."

Leggy crept closer, forcing Kyoko to backpedal. "Oh? You think you have a choice?" She grinned, revealing sharp, jagged teeth. "You'll be my little plaything, whether you like it or not. And once I'm bored of you, I'll hand you over to my _friend_ over there."

Fatty perked up, intrigued by the prospect of more food to fill its never-ending gullet.

"Yeah, yeah." Kyoko continued backward until her back was against the wall. She raised her spear menacingly. "I'll show you where you can shove those words."

"What a sharp tongue!" The monstrous woman was undeterred by her threat. "I'll have to rip out your tongue as punishment. Scream for me, won't you?"

"I won't be the one screaming."

Kyoko drew back her spear as if she was about to lunge forward . . .

Leggy tensed, bracing for the imminent blow while Fatty wobbled over to join the fray.

 **BOOM!**

Kyoko swung at the wall with all her might, releasing the pent-up magic energy she had been storing during that conversation.

The wall crumbled readily, its structure long since weakened by age. She didn't waste a moment before leaping out.

Landing on the street outside, the first thing she saw was Xenovia and Irina staring at her with wide eyes.

Glancing down at her clothing, which was quite obviously _not_ the exorcist uniform she had been wearing a while ago, she saw the reason for their bewilderment.

 _Oh, right. I was supposed to keep that secret._

 _Whoops._

No time for regrets though. They were about to have _very_ large pests to deal with.

"Stop gawking and help!" she yelled at the exorcists. "I don't know what you call a Stray Devil, but those _things_ weren't devils. They were _monsters_."

Xenovia pulled herself together and frowned. "Stray Devils tend to undergo mutations, but I would hardly call them _monsters_ –"

Leggy stepped out of dust cloud kicked up by the fallen rubble and let out a screech.

"COME BACK HERE, LITTLE GIRL. LET ME TEAR OUT YOUR INNARDS AND HEAR YOU SCREAM!"

The exorcists paled.

"Wha – what?! I've never seen such a highly mutated Stray Devil!" Irina's body was shaking as she drew her weapon. "There's no way they would give a mission this advanced to a group of new exorcists!"

"Yeah, well, go complain about it to your superiors later!" Kyoko said. "We gotta kill these things!"

Before they could coordinate any further, Leggy crashed onto their general vicinity, forcing them to scatter to avoid being tramped by dozens of sharp legs.

"Foodddddddd?" Fatty wobbled out of the ruined building. It eyed the exorcists with glee. "Theyyyyy sendddd moreeeee fooddddd? Delightfulllllll~"

Both Xenovia and Irina were clearly disturbed by the obese behemoth that stood before them. However, their training and discipline kicked in, and they forced themselves to analyze the enemy.

Xenovia noticed something disturbing. "Wha – what? Are those . . . the remains of an exorcist uniform in its mouth?!"

Irina peered closely at the monstrosity's teeth and noticed the same thing. "Huh? You're right! But . . . that doesn't make any sense! If the Church had encountered these _things_ before, they would have already sent a more capable team of exorcists to exterminate them!"

Uncaring of their observations, Fatty lumbered closer, anticipation written all over its drooling face.

It lurched to the side as Kyoko crashed into it with her spear outstretched.

"Less talking, more fighting!" she yelled at the two exorcists.

She drove the tip in, trying to penetrate the creature's hide, but her foe's defenses were surprisingly resilient. It felt like stabbing leather, thick and dense.

"R – right!" Irina said.

She and her partner circled the beast, trying to flank it.

Their efforts were dashed when Leggy charged back into the fray.

"MORE TOYS TO PLAY WITH? WHY, ISN'T THIS MY LUCKY DAY!"

Her tendrils shot out at lightning speed, forcing the exorcists to focus on defending against the onslaught. Raining down dozens of blows in a matter of seconds, it was a testament to their exorcist training that they could deflect them all.

However, with no way to retaliate, they were locked in a stalemate; unable to attack, and unable to escape without leaving themselves open.

"FOODDDDDD!"

Frustrated by Kyoko's constant attempts to chip away at it and its inability to snag her with its tongue, Fatty decided to ignore her and focus on easier prey instead.

Crouching down, its legs coiled, then sprang forward, launching its massive girth an impressive distance.

It landed a short distance away from to two very surprised exorcists.

 **BOOM!**

Caught in the massive shockwave generated by the thing's landing, they were thrown off their feet. Suspended in the air, helpless, they could only look on with horror as the tendrils they had been fending off a moment ago began to snake closer –

A bright flash blazed past them, followed by the rapid barrage of gunfire.

Leggy shrieked as her tentacles were utterly decimated.

Sayaka stood in front of the fallen exorcists protectively, brandishing her newly acquired sword. "Sorry we're late. You two okay?"

Xenovia and Irina picked themselves up, brushing themselves off as well.

"Thanks to you, yes, we're fine," Irina said.

"We won't be caught off guard like that again," Xenovia promised.

Someone landed lightly near them, and they turned to see Mami approaching, smoke still trailing out of her guns. "Apologies for taking so long. Our communications were cut off."

Irina was confused. "Communications? What do you me –"

"Y'ALL WANNA STOP CHATTING AND HELP?"

The entire group spun to see that Kyoko had somehow managed to get on top of Fatty and was now trying to stab its eye out with her spear. The behemoth, obviously miffed at the insect clinging to its head, was thrashing about wildly, trying to throw her off while she hung on for dear life.

Sayaka, noticing Kyoko's change of attire, muttered quietly under her breath. "Damnit, Kyoko."

"In any case, she is correct; we should not tarry." Mami stepped forward, eyeing her opponents. "Miki-san will assist you with that . . . many-legged monstrosity, while I will aid Kyoko-san. Is that an acceptable arrangement?"

"Seems as good a plan as any," Sayaka said.

"I don't have any complaints either," Irina added.

Xenovia nodded wordlessly in agreement.

"Then let us be off!"

The four of them dashed into the fray.

xxx

Mami really wished she could use her muskets right now.

The creature's hide was tough. Impossibly so. Even max-charge shots from her guns only left scorch marks that merely seemed to make it more infuriated.

She had already run out of charge on her first pair of guns and forced to switch to her backup pair, but even those were beginning to run low on energy.

Stepping to the side as the creature's tongue crashed into the ground next to her, she reassessed the situation.

Offensively, her opponent was weak. It seemed to rely on its incredibly long tongue to snag its victims (which was easy enough to dodge as long as she paid attention), but other than that, it seemed to lack any other techniques, aside from primitive measures such as ramming the ground with its body.

Defensively, however, the behemoth was a veritable wall. Its hide turned aside all their blows with ease, and she had yet to see any evidence that they were inflicting lasting damage on it.

In other words, it was the most annoying kind of enemy; extremely hard to kill, but still threatening enough that ignoring it could prove to be fatal.

They needed to land a decisive blow on it, and soon, or else it would outlast them in a battle of attrition.

Mami furrowed her brow as she inspected her foe. The only areas that weren't protected by its hide were its eye and mouth, but it had been difficult to land a shot on those given how much Kyoko was causing it to thrash.

"Kyoko-san!" she called out. "I need you to get it to stand still for a moment!"

"EASIER SAID THAN DONE!"

Kyoko, who had disconnected her spear into a chain, had been trying to strangle the beast with it for the past few minutes to no avail. Giving up on the endeavor, she reformed her weapon and vaulted off the creature, landing lightly on the ground next to Mami.

Spinning around, she turned back towards Fatty and growled. "Hey, ugly. Why don't you just do us all a favor and drop dead already?"

It glared at her balefully, its bloodshot eye glowing with rage. "IIII willlll . . . eattttt youuuuu . . . aliveeeee . . ."

Although it was now standing still, Mami hesitated. Although its inhuman nature made her want to treat it like a dumb beast, her instincts warned her that there was a spark of intelligence in it. If she took the shot, somehow, she knew that it would react; not fast enough to dodge it, but enough to make her miss its vitals.

And with how low her guns were on charge, she couldn't afford to waste a shot.

"Kyoko-san, I need you to distract it."

"Yeah, well, what do you think I've been doing all this time?"

"I need you to distract it _and_ keep it still."

Kyoko gave her an unimpressed look. "Oh? And exactly how am I supposed to do that?"

"You have the magic to do it," Mami pointed out.

The other girl grimaced. "We've had this conversation already. You know why I can't use _that._ "

"You _didn't_ kill them, Kyoko. You couldn't have known what would happen when you made your wish."

"I am _not_ having this argument with you in the middle of a battle. I'll figure something out, so don't get your panties in a twist."

Fatty, unwilling to let this conversation happen in peace, lunged forward with an outstretched tongue. "RAHHHHHH!"

They kicked away from each other, and while Mami began circling around, looking for an opening, Kyoko rushed straight towards the monster.

 _If I can't use my magic to beguile this thing, then I'll just have to make it submit by force!_

She cast a warding spell on her spear, then drove it into the ground and used it to vault into the air. Calling forth her magic midflight, she disconnected her spear, then grew it until it was as long as the creature she was facing. Landing on the opposite side of Fatty, she turned and _wrenched_ the linked pieces down like a hunter trapping an animal with a net.

The monster screamed as it collapsed. It writhed under her trap, desperately trying to free itself to no avail.

Kyoko smirked. Looking at it from the outside, it seemed absurd that such a thin net could hold such a large beast. But she had enchanted her weapon with a repelling ward prior, which forced back specified entities on contact.

And since the monster was in _constant_ contact with the ward, it was _constantly_ being pushed back.

Straight into the ground.

Unfortunately, the constant activation of the ward was draining her magic quite rapidly, so she would be grateful if Mami would _hurry up and take the fucking shot already._

"It's all yours!" she called out, sweat beginning to line her brow.

Mami strode forward like a feline predator until she stood right before the Stray Devil's enraged eye. It was glaring fiercely at them, its mouth barely open despite the force of the ward.

"Theyyyy . . . willlll . . . killlll . . . youuuuu . . ."

Without any preamble, she raised her gun and pulled the trigger.

The max-intensity shot tore through the creature's eye, burrowing into its cranium and destroying whatever passed for vital organs in its head.

It slumped over, lifeless, and Kyoko felt the drain on her magic cease as the ward no longer registered the corpse as a valid entity. She checked her Soul Gem and grimaced as she noticed the black cloud obscuring most of the surface.

"Guess I'll have to take it easy for a bit," she muttered.

Mami approached her. "That was quite the creative use of your warding magic. Good job."

Kyoko scowled at her. "If we didn't have to deal with this secrecy crap, you coulda just used your ribbons to do the same thing." She sighed. "Hope Sayaka and the others don't my need my help. It'd be a pain to fight without magic."

Mami chose not to comment as she looked to the side. "The others seemed to have no trouble managing their foe."

Sayaka, Xenovia, and Irina walked over, the remains of their opponent cooling on the ground as well. Their clothes were scuffed up, but none of them had any major injuries.

The two exorcists glanced at Kyoko in her new attire. "What happened to your clothes?" Irina asked.

"Um . . ." Kyoko was caught flatfooted. "Magic?" she said lamely.

Sayaka facepalmed silently. _"Way to keep our secret, Kyoko. And also, why the heck didn't you respond when we called for you earlier?"_

" _Shut up! It's too late for that, anyway. And I couldn't because those crappy Stray Devils were jamming me or something."_

"Oh? So, you're a Magician, then?" Xenovia asked.

"Yes," Kyoko declared with far more confidence than she felt.

The two girls nodded as if they understood everything.

Kyoko was surprised by their smooth acceptance. "Shouldn't ya be more surprised? Or maybe angry at me for hiding it?"

"Angry?" Xenovia shook her head. "We haven't revealed everything about ourselves to you either, so it would wrong for us to expect that you would. And we're not surprised because this isn't our first time working with a Magician." She glanced at Mami and Sayaka. "Would it be safe to assume that you two are Magicians too?"

Sayaka was panicking. _"Crap, Mami, what do we say? Do we just deny it?"_

Mami hesitated. _"Calm down. They don't know the_ real _truth; they're just assuming that we conform to one of the magical entities they're familiar with in their world, so we should just play along."_

" _Har har. Guess I didn't blow our 'secret' after all, huh?"_

Ignoring the sarcastic voice in her head, Mami said, "Yes, we are." She tilted her head. "And what do you mean, not your first time? I thought the Church did not have the most favorable view on magic."

"Most church members don't," Irina admitted. "But we were ordered to work with her for a special assignment, and we saw no reason to refuse."

"Her?" Kyoko was beginning to get a pretty good idea as to who they were talking about. "Did she have black hair, wield a bow, and have a glare that could freeze you inside out?"

Xenovia raised an eyebrow. "Why, yes she did. Although I'm not sure about that last one." She shot them a questioning gaze. "Do you know her?"

Kyoko grinned. "Hell yeah, we know her."

"Oh? She never mentioned any of you."

"I'm not surprised," Sayaka said. "Transfer student doesn't open up much."

"In any case, we have more important matters to discuss," Irina interrupted. "Specifically, the sword."

Mami raised an eyebrow. "The sword? What do you mean?"

"That sword . . ." Irina pointed at the faintly glowing sword in Sayaka's hands. "Is one of the fragments of Excalibur – Excalibur Nightmare, to be specific."

"Excalibur?" Mami asked. "So, a Holy Sword, I would presume."

"Indeed." Xenovia glanced at Sayaka. "It takes a large amount of light element to wield a true Holy Sword like an Excalibur Fragment," she said with a hint of respect.

Kyoko laughed. "Hear that? Your ally of justice schtick was useful for something!"

Sayaka flushed. "H – Hey! Don't just assume that!"

"It is not exactly known why certain people have a higher concentration of light element than others," Irina said with a disapproving look towards Kyoko. "Moving on, this sword, in particular, has a special ability."

"Yeah." Sayaka swung the sword around. "Apparently, it can make people see illusions or something? All I know is that suddenly, the Stray Devil began running around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off."

"It must have responded to your strong desire," Xenovia said.

Sayaka looked confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"At what moment did the devil begin acting as you described?" she asked.

"Well . . ." Sayaka thought back. "I think it was when that thing caught Irina off-guard, and I thought that I wouldn't make it in time to save her."

Xenovia nodded. "You must have had a strong desire to save her. That allowed you to activate the sword's ability without any training, albeit unintentionally."

Irina seemed embarrassed by the mention of her blunder. "Anyway . . ." She coughed politely. "After that, killing the Stray was fairly simple. We wore it down with hit-and-run attacks while it couldn't retaliate, and once it couldn't move anymore, we finished it off." Her eyes narrowed. "However, we still don't know _why_ there was an Excalibur Shard here." She looked towards Mami. "Miki-san here said that you two found it along with two exorcists in the abandoned building?"

Mami's eyes widened. "I completely forgot about them! I was going to tie them up for later, but there was no time."

She dashed off to check on them.

xxx

Mami came back, hanging her head. "They weren't there," she said despondently.

Sayaka patted her back. "It's alright. We completed the mission, didn't we? Cheer up!"

"That may be so, but there were quite a few troubling occurrences that concern me," Irina said. "For one, why was Excalibur Nightmare here? Xenovia and I recovered all the fragments after the incident in Kuoh and returned them to the Church. They should be safe in storage!"

"Perhaps the two exorcists intended to use it to defeat the Stray Devils we found?" Xenovia suggested.

Irina shook her head. "No. If they had been given such a task by the higher-ups, then we would most definitely have heard about it. Besides, it seems a bit redundant to assign two different groups of exorcists to defeat the same Stray Devils, don't you think?"

"Yeah, well." Kyoko yawned. "Maybe they made a mistake? Old geezers probably get bored pushing papers around all day, so maybe they got something mixed up somewhere."

"Maybe," Irina echoed. "But that wouldn't explain the other thing that bothers me: the Stray Devils." She glanced at Xenovia. "They were strong, far stronger than most Strays I've seen."

Her partner nodded. "Indeed. It is rare to encounter a Stray of such strength; most are quickly exterminated by either the Devils or the Church."

"Perhaps we were just unlucky, then?" Mami asked. "Even if encountering one is rare, it is not impossible. Not all missions go as planned."

"That would be a possibility, but this was meant to be a _beginner_ level mission. Beginner missions' objectives are scouted out beforehand, which means the Church _must_ have known about these abnormal Strays," Irina said. "Yet, they sent a group of 'new' exorcists to fight them anyway. It would be more like a death sentence than a mission, and judging by the remains we saw in that creature's mouth . . ." She narrowed her eyes. "We wouldn't have been the first to die to those _things_."

They all fell silent as they digested what they had pieced together from the evidence they had.

"Well," Kyoko said at last, "I knew the Church was fucked up, but I never knew it could be _that_ fucked up." She scanned their faces. "So, now all we need to figure out is _why_. Why did they give us this suicide mission? Cause clearly, not every batch of fresh-faced recruits fight these monsters, or they wouldn't have any exorcists anymore."

"Isn't it obvious?"

Everyone turned to look at Sayaka in surprise.

She was flustered by the sudden influx of attention but pressed on. "I mean, if they wanted to get rid of us, that could only mean one thing:"

"They're onto us."

xxx

Diodora curled his lips as he glanced down at the rotting corpses of two Stray Devils. They had been very useful to him, cleaners that he could trust to _remove_ anyone he sent their way.

Their recent failure was disappointing, but he had expected it to happen sooner or later. Trash could only deal with other trash, and it was clear that this mysterious new group of exorcists was not your typical run-of-the-mill recruits.

"Be a dear and clean up this blight on the landscape, won't you?" he said to his Queen. "It would be unfortunate if the Church investigated and found this."

After all, to the Pope, he was simply a man with unorthodox connections and a most devious fetish.

And he intended to keep it that way.

His Queen gave him a glassy, vacant stare but nonetheless nodded and rushed off to carry out his orders.

He turned around and walked away from the scene, leaving bloody footprints in his wake. Behind him, the body of two exorcists lied cooling in the midnight air.

If it was just the loss of his cleaners, then he could deal with that. But to lose the Excalibur Fragment as well? All due to the incompetence of the hired help?

Needless to say, the aforementioned grunts wouldn't be disappointing him anymore.

He sighed. "And I was so looking forward to seeing one of my lovely ladies wield it. The very thought of such defiled hands touching a holy blade . . ." He grinned, a savage, perverse expression. "Why, just the thought of it makes me shiver!"

It would have been quite useful in Rating Games too. Although Holy weapons weren't permitted, there were ways to mask a holy aura, and the sword's ability to create illusions at will would have been quite potent in and of itself. And if several of his long-hated rivals were crippled for life by its holy edge, well . . .

That was a bonus he might work a bit harder to make happen.

At the very least, he would soon be in possession of his _latest_ acquisition. So long as the girl followed instructions (and he had no doubt she would, given her meek nature and just _who_ was sending her instructions), it would be quite simple for him to snap her up.

There was no way this _third_ scheme of his would go wrong too.

xxx

He was sitting at his desk, only the soft scratch-scratch of his pen on paper to disturb him in his moment of peace.

In front of him was the daily stack of paperwork that came with his position as Pope. They were mundane papers, paperwork necessary for the daily functions of the Church: proposals, budget plans, approval forms and the like. Innocent, harmless work . . . a welcome distraction from the many sins that weighed on his heart.

A weight that grew heavier every time he had to issue a blood-soaked writ, a sentence of death to some poor soul.

One of his men stepped into his office, softly closing the door behind him. "Our investigation has concluded."

He did not look up. "And?"

"We have found some video footage that may be of interest to you."

His pen continued to scrawl. "Oh? In what manner?"

"It contains footage of someone who bears a very close resemblance to the usurper."

The pen stopped.

". . . Show me."

The man bowed and quickly set up the small TV he had in his office, leaving once his task was complete.

The Pope stared at the screen, both anticipation and trepidation warring within him. What would he see? What would he feel? It was always harder to write the death warrant when he could put a name to a face.

He pressed "Play."

They were in a diner. The film was a bit grainy and the angle was slightly off, but it was acceptable. He saw several people were milling about, but two of them immediately caught his attention.

The clothes hid it well, but he could tell the blonde man had a superhuman grace about him, an unnatural sense of perfection that no mortal could hope to emulate. His companion, on the other hand –

It was her. There was no doubt about it. Even with the hat and the casual clothes, he could still feel it, that _raw_ feeling that surged within him whenever he laid eyes upon her.

The two of them were talking in low voices, a private conversation that he could not overhear. Very little of note occurred, until finally –

The outburst from another table. The hysterical woman.

He saw how she _dashed_ over to aid her, so quickly that it was as if she had teleported. The voices were louder now, allowing him to piece together the conversation.

He saw the woman descend into despair, the realization that her life's work was meaningless overwhelming her.

He saw the goddess try to comfort her, trying to suggest herself as a substitute, a new deity to believe in.

He saw the rejection, a wild bout of anger that was stopped just in time.

And in the end, he saw the woman slump back into her seat, a broken expression to go along with her broken soul.

He had expected such an outcome. Faith, like trust, was such a strong yet fragile thing. Nourished and built upon correctly, it was something that could inspire people to new heights, to overcome their limits.

But to have it betrayed in the worst way possible? To know that you were deceived, that the God you prayed earnestly to every day was nothing more than a shadowy puppet held up by the strings of Heaven?

Stronger men than him had broken because of that. He had been lucky.

When he glanced at the goddess to see her reaction, he had expected several things. Disappointment at failing to convert a new follower, perhaps. Anger at almost being assaulted, possibly.

What he had not, _could_ not have expected was an expression of utter despair that could match that of the stricken woman.

And in that moment, he realized:

She was horrified.

Horrified that her failings had caused this, had reduced a promising young woman to a broken shell, had _ruined another's life._

Such compassion and empathy in a deity was unheard of. So many of the other gods treated humans as their playthings, as toys they could meddle with for their own amusement before ultimately discarding them.

But she wasn't like that. She cared about others. She cared about how they felt, whether they were happy or sad, laughing or crying, singing or sobbing.

He might even say that she cared too much.

The only deity who came anywhere close to her –

Was the original God.

The video ended, bathing the room in silence once more.

But the turmoil in his heart had never been louder.

xxx

Omake: Mini Grail War

Exorcists were noble, upstanding warriors. They were the watchers in the night, with a shield to turn aside the encroaching darkness and a sword to slay the evil that dwells in the shadows. They were allies of justice, keepers of the peace, and protectors of humanity.

They were most certainly _not_ shoplifters.

Kyoko gave Sayaka a baleful look. "Look, this wouldn't be necessary if _someone_ –" She glared at Irina, who was innocently standing off to the side. "Hadn't spent all our money on some cheap ass fake replicate of the Holy Grail."

"Hey! It's not a fake. It's the real thing! Look!" She pointed to the cup in question. "You can see a crack there. A replica wouldn't have these kinds of flaws!"

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Or maybe it's such a shit replica that they couldn't even be bothered to fix the cracks."

Apparently, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Xenovia was only too eager to regale the three new girls of how Irina spent all their money on a fake painting of a saint during their mission to retrieve the stolen Excaliburs.

Irina had looked at her in betrayal, but her rumbling stomach would not be denied its vengeance.

"Wait. I have an idea to solve this. Without us having to become criminals!" Irina shot up with a triumphant expression.

Mami glanced at the large bag of stolen snacks lying on the bench next to them. "I'm afraid it might be a little too late for that . . ."

Irina continued, unfazed. "If this is the real cup, that means it can grant wishes!"

The others looked at her with dumbfounded expressions.

"I don't remember anything like that being part of the Grail's legend," Xenovia said.

"Yeah . . . I think you're grasping at straws here," Sayaka said.

"No, I'm serious!" Irina insisted. "All we have to do is have a battle to decide a victor, and then the Grail will grant the victor's wish."

The others did not seem impressed.

". . . That sounds like the plot of some third-rate anime show," Kyoko said.

"You don't believe me? Why don't we give it a try? We don't have anything to lose."

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "You mean besides causing collateral damage? And blowing our cover. We're kinda out in public, here." She gestured to their surroundings.

"No, no, it doesn't have to be a physical fight," Irina explained. "We can just do rock-paper-scissors."

The others still seemed dubious, but the rather tame method of conflict seemed to alleviate most of their concerns.

"Well, I'm bored, so a rock-paper-scissor tourney sounds good to me," Sayaka said.

"I suppose it won't hurt to try," Mami concluded.

Xenovia and Kyoko nodded and moved closer for the impending battle.

"Alright!" Irina had a determined glint in her eyes. "I'm going to win this, and you'll all regret doubting me. Rock! Paper! Scissors!"

"SHOOT!"

Five hands came down at once.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Why the hell did y'all choose paper?!"

Aside from Kyoko, everyone else had chosen paper for some strange reason.

Kyoko, meanwhile, was the only one with scissors.

"Curses!" Irina was fuming as she pounded the bench to vent her frustrations. "Why didn't you go rock?! Everyone always goes rock!"

"I don't know where you heard that load of bull, but it clearly doesn't seem to apply seeing that not a single one of us chose rock, huh?" She turned to the others. "Anyway, what's y'all's deal?" Her eyes narrowed as each and every one of them avoided meeting her eyes. "Don't tell me you thought the same thing as Pigtails over there?"

"Ehehehehe . . ." Sayaka laughed weakly. "Don't . . . don't worry about it."

"Y – Yeah, Kyoko-san." Mami seemed flustered as well. "S- Shouldn't you be making your wish?"

Kyoko turned to the last one, Xenovia, who merely gave her a respectful nod. "You have fought and defeated us fairly. It is time for you to claim your prize."

Kyoko felt like facepalming. "Fine. Whatever. Let's get this over with."

She walked up to the fake cup, which had begun to glow faintly for some reason.

"So, what are you gonna wish for?" Irina asked. "Fame and prestige? Riches? World peace?"

"Nah . . ." Kyoko stared down into the golden grail. "I think I'll wish for . . ."

She took a deep breath.

Everyone else leaned in closer in anticipation.

"AN INFINITE SUPPLY OF POCKY!"

Everyone's jaws simultaneously dropped.

The cup's glow intensified. It rose into the air, the air around it pulsating madly.

"Wh – what's going on?"

Light flashed violently, and with an ear-splitting **POP**!

The cup vanished.

Pocky began raining from the sky.

". . ."

". . ."

". . ."

Xenovia plucked some Pocky that had landed in her hair and began eating it.

Kyoko followed suit.

"Mmmmm, it's pretty good," the exorcist said.

"Isn't it? Well, this isn't quite what I wished for, but I guess it's close enough."

Everyone else facepalmed.

On that day, world hunger was solved.

Unfortunately, mankind was driven to extinction years later due to a massive outbreak of diabetes.


	11. Leaping down to us

Kyoko was not at all convinced by Sayaka's claim that the Church was already suspicious of them.

After all, they had only just arrived. And her friend thought that they had been targeted already?

Ridiculous.

It became a _far_ less ridiculous idea when they returned to the base and found that the bishop who had assigned them the mission seemed _far_ too surprised by their return.

Why, if she had to hazard a guess, she would think that it was because they _weren't_ supposed to come back.

At least, not alive.

He had probably expected them back in body bags. If they could even find enough pieces of them to fill one, considering how _voracious_ Fatty had seemed.

The man had blustered and congratulated them on their success, even though they could _see_ the insincerity seeping out of him like a leaking bucket.

She had wanted to pin him to a wall and demand him to tell them what the hell was going on but discarded that as a bad idea considering how much attention the bishop's rant had been drawing.

Irina and Mami had tried to subtly pry into how much the bishop knew what the specific details of the mission, but he had bluntly ignored their questions and scurried off without a word.

So now they were back at square one. In the base of an organization that may or may not be out to get them killed.

At least they got a nifty sword out of it. Or, to be specific, Sayaka did. The two exorcists didn't feel comfortable with returning the weapon considering the rather _dubious_ means in which the weapon had ended up at the abandoned building, so Xenovia had taught Sayaka how to use magic to store the sword in a pocket dimension for safekeeping.

"So, what do we do now?" Kyoko asked. "Doesn't seem like they're gonna give us a new mission anytime soon."

"We should take this opportunity to investigate," Mami said. "We won't make any progress unless we take the initiative."

"I agree," Irina said. "But, where do we even start? Ideally, we should investigate around the Vatican, but since it's such a populous area, it is unlikely that we can get permission to go there."

And wasn't that one of the biggest downfalls of their plan? Exposing the corruption within the Church would require them to investigate the higher authorities within the organization, but most of them were in the Vatican, which was a heavily restricted area. Only the highest-ranking exorcists were stationed there, since having too many of them in such a populous area carried a high risk of exposing the supernatural to the public.

Perhaps if they posed as nuns instead, they would have been able to gain access. But Kyoko doubted that any of them would have lasted a _day_ in such a disguise. She only had a vague familiarity with the Bible, and she didn't think the other two had much more experience in that regard.

At least as exorcists they could put their combat abilities to use as part of their disguises. But that meant they were stuck in one of the secluded bases the Church built around the Vatican to house its exorcists in.

As they ruminated on their dilemma, they were interrupted by the sound of rumbling.

Specifically, the rumbling of Kyoko's and Xenovia's stomachs.

Sayaka shot her friend a dry look. "Can't wait, can you?"

Kyoko was completely unabashed. "Hey, killing those Stray Devils took a lot of energy, y'know?"

"Indeed." Xenovia nodded in agreement. "Combat is a most strenuous task; it is important to curb your hunger when you can."

"In that case, let's take a break then," Mami said. "We will likely think better on a full stomach, anyway."

"Might as well, then." Sayaka's head spun to-and-fro. "Where's the mess hall around here?"

Irina pointed. "It's over here, on the left." She started walking in the indicated direction.

As the rest of them began following, Kyoko wondered what kind of food they had. The Church had a lot of money, so surely, they would put some of it towards a good cafeteria, right?

xxx

Kyoko stared at the blob on her tray. It was a brown, mushy thing. It looked soft, almost like mashed potatoes, but when she poked it with her fork, it was hard and unyielding.

She really didn't want to eat it, but her code of honor dictated that she had to at least give it a try.

She took a bite.

It was . . . slimy. As she swallowed, she could _feel_ it slowly sliding down her throat like some sort of snail stuck in her windpipe.

Well, this was an easy verdict.

She pushed her tray away.

"This is not food," she declared. "This is a travesty against food! Against humanity! Against the basic right to eat well!"

Around her, she could see Sayaka and Mami staring at their own trays with equal looks of disgust. Xenovia and Irina, however, were gulping down the mush like it was ambrosia.

Irina shot her a perplexed look. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

She returned the gaze with an incredulous look. "Don't like it? How can _anybody_ like this pile of crap?!"

"It is not 'crap'," Xenovia said as she piled more onto her plate. "It is a highly nutritious, cost-efficient substance developed by some of the brightest minds in the Church. It is extremely healthy and very filling."

Kyoko sighed and gazed upon the two exorcists with pity in her eyes. She needed to show them the true wonders of food!

"Mami!" She turned to her former mentor. "I need you to commandeer the kitchen. I don't care what you have to do, but make it happen!"

Mami stood up, a determined look on her face.

"With pleasure."

As she rushed off, the two exorcists glanced towards Kyoko with uncertainty.

"Erm, is that really necessary?" Irina asked.

"Hey, I'm doing this as a favor to you two," Kyoko said. "I'm trying to revive those taste buds of yours that this _sludge_ must have killed off a long time ago."

Sayaka rolled her eyes. "You mean you can't stand the taste, and you'd really rather eat Mami's cooking again."

"Shut it! I'm being generous here!"

xxx

Irina stared at the feast arrayed before her. She had never seen such a large amount of food gathered in one spot before; the Church had always frowned on indulging in excess, and gluttony was one of the easiest sins to fall prey to.

Next to her, Xenovia was already chowing down. "You should try some, Irina! It's really good."

Across from her, Mami smiled as she presented her cuisine. "I'm glad you think so, Quarta-san!" She turned to Irina. "Why don't you have some, Shidou-san? There's plenty."

Even as she wavered, other exorcists in the dining were already taking notice of the veritable feast that had been set up. Mami, gracious as ever, offered food to every one of them.

"This is delicious! Way better than the slop they feed us!"

"I know, right?! Hey, you gotta try this soup, it's amazing!"

"T – Thank you very much for making this!"

Mami beamed. "It was my pleasure."

Kyoko, seeing Irina still struggling against her engrained ideals, spoke up. "If ya still feel bad about it, then just call it a celebratory meal. After all, we did just finish a hard mission, y'know? Surely the Church ain't got a problem with rewarding yourself?"

Irina sighed. She really should loosen up a bit, shouldn't she?

She accepted a plate from the chef of the hour. "Thank you, Tomoe-san."

A smile. "Think nothing of it."

The next few minutes were spent engulfed in a blissful trance, where the only thing that mattered was enjoying the warmth and flavor of the meal that had been painstakingly prepared for them.

"What is going on in here?!"

The doors to the hall crashed open, and the bishop that they had been speaking with earlier barged in.

Everyone immediately froze, as if they had all just been caught red-handed.

The bishop stalked up to the table with the food piled on it. "Are these . . . are these ingredients from the faculty fridge?!" His face contorted in anger. "Who gave you permission to use these?!"

" _Shit, this doesn't look good,"_ Kyoko said.

" _Guess we just got busted."_ Sayaka sighed. _"Damn it, Kyoko. This is all your fault."_

" _Hey, how was I supposed to know the bishop would be an uptight jackass about it?"_ Kyoko paused. _"Actually, I probably shoulda saw that coming,"_ she admitted.

" _No, the fault ultimately lies with me,"_ Mami said. _"I was the one who agreed with Kyoko's plan, and I was the one who carried it out. I will take the blame."_

When Mami stood up to do exactly that, another voice cut in.

"Oh? That looks delicious!"

A young man with blonde hair and green eyes walked into the room. He wore priest garments, but the way he held himself was completely different from what one would expect of a holy man; his very posture was relaxed and carefree, quite unlike the normally strict discipline enforced by the Church.

He strode forward, completely unfazed by the sudden silence that had settled over the room and took a cheesecake that Mami had made.

 **Munch!**

As he chewed, his face lit up in delight, as if he had found something precious to treasure.

" _For some reason, that guy looks familiar,"_ Sayaka noted.

" _Does he? Pretty sure I've never seen him before,"_ Kyoko said.

Meanwhile, Mami's eyes had widened in surprise. _"T – That's Dulio Gesualdo! The Strongest Exorcist!"_

That didn't ring any bells for Kyoko. _"Who?"_

" _Oh yeah! He was one of the people we were supposed to memorize, weren't we?"_ Sayaka recalled.

Meanwhile, the bishop was staring at the new arrival in shock, floundering like a fish out of water. "G – Gesualdo-san?! What are you doing here?!"

"Mmmm, this is good." The Strongest Exorcist took another pastry from the pile, before finally seeming to register the bishop's question. "Oh, I was sent here actually."

"Wha – what?! Why wasn't I informed?!"

"It was a last-minute decision, so there was no time. Sorry about just popping in." He continued munching down on a variety of pastries.

The bishop, seeing this, regained some of his initial fervor. "Y – You can't eat that! Whoever did this didn't have permission to use the reserved ingredients!" He spun around with a death glare. "And the culprit, whoever you are, I _will_ make you pay!"

Mami gulped and began having second thoughts about taking the blame.

"Oh, it's fine." Dulio waved a hand dismissively. "I gave them permission."

The bishop's jaw dropped, as did that of everyone else in the room.

" _Wha – what? That doesn't even make any sense!"_ Sayaka said.

" _No kidding. This guy is on an entirely different level."_ Kyoko said.

The bishop was utterly taken aback by Dulio's blatant lie. "B – But you just got here! When could you possibly have –"

Dulio shot him a lazy look. "Don't sweat the details. Now, you don't have to go chasing after whoever made this, right?"

"I – I can't just let this go – !"

The exorcist turned to fully face him.

And smiled.

It was a playful smile, one that might adorn the face of any joyful, young man. But this smile contained steel; it was such a simple gesture, but it held immense willpower behind it.

The bishop felt his knees buckle merely at the sight of it.

"Do we still have a problem?" Dulio asked calmly.

Realizing that any argument against the Strongest Exorcist would only be in vain, the bishop turned tail and ran.

The pressure vanished, and the only thing left behind was a young man happily enjoying some baked goods. "Mmmm, this is some good stuff." He looked up. "Who _did_ make all this anyway? Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything."

As several eyes immediately shot to her, Mami slowly raised her hand.

He smiled. "Thank you very much for treating us to such a delightful meal, young miss." His face brightened, as if he just had a great idea. "I know! Why don't you help me carry some of this to Strada-san? I'm sure he would love a taste, and it's only fair that the cook is there to see the fruits of her labor being properly enjoyed."

The silent hall broke out in conversation once more at the mention of a particularly famous name.

"Strada? As in Vasco Strada? The Cardinal Priest? He's here?!" Irina asked in an incredulous voice.

"It would seem so," Xenovia said. "As a fellow warrior, there are few I respect more than him."

Kyoko leaned back in her chair. "Well, looks like our next lead just fell into our lap. Guess we can just let Mami handle this one, then." Her hand strayed toward the pile of food . . .

Sayaka grabbed her arm. "Nuh uh. This mission is a group effort, and you're not sitting this out just so you can stuff your face some more."

Kyoko turned to her with a deadpan face. "Notice how Mister Strongest Exorcist over there only said that the cook could come along. Which is Mami, in this case. What do you want us to do?"

As Sayaka shut her mouth in realization of the fact that for once, Kyoko had a point, a voice echoed through the hall.

"Why, of course your friends can come along! Food is best enjoyed with others after all," a certain exorcist said.

Kyoko facepalmed.

"Damnit, Mami."

xxx

Vasco Strada looked up from the file cabinet he had been searching to see that a certain _someone_ had finally decided to come back from his unplanned detour.

"Back at last, Gesualdo-san? Would you care to lend me a hand –"

He was interrupted when Dulio thrust some sort of pastry into his face. "You should try it, Strada-san! It's quite delectable, and you know that I have some pretty high standards."

Vasco gently pushed the offering away. "Perhaps later. For now, we need to finish our investigation –" He blinked when he noticed that there were _far_ more people in the room than there should be. "And who might you all be?"

"Oh, right." Dulio pushed a blonde girl forward. "This here is Mami Tomoe, the maker of this fine delicacy!" He turned to the other girls. "And these are her friends . . . ah, sorry, I didn't quite catch your names?"

Vasco inwardly sighed at the young man's fickle behavior as the others introduced themselves to him. He was already familiar with one of them and vaguely recognized another, but the rest was a mystery to him. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you," he said with a smile. His gaze lingered on one in particular. "I hope you've been taking good care of it, Quarta-san."

Xenovia stiffened and straightened up. "Y – Yes I have, Strada-sama!"

He turned to the mysterious girls who all seemed mildly puzzled by his exchange with Xenovia. "I don't believe I've seen you three around before. Are you all new graduates?"

Mami nodded. "Yes, we only recently finished our training."

"Congratulations on your success. Not everyone is suited for the hardships that come with being an exorcist, but I have high hopes for all of you. Who was your instructor, if I may ask?"

He noticed that they seemed to grow a little uncomfortable when he asked that.

"It was Sister Griselda," Mami said.

"Oh? You all are Griselda's students?" Dulio tapped his chin. "I wasn't aware she took on any new students after that Xenovia girl. Didn't she resign a while ago?"

"Ehehehe." Sayaka rubbed the back of her head. "It was an off-the-books kind of thing. We didn't go through the regular training program, but Sister Griselda did teach us everything we know."

Vasco quirked an eyebrow. "Interesting. You three must be exceptional students if Sister Griselda was willing to come out of retirement to train you three."

"Yeah, you could say that," Kyoko said lazily.

He couldn't detect a lie in their statements, but something still felt off. They were hiding something . . . but he didn't think they were doing it out of any sort of ill will. Dulio was an excellent judge of character, so he doubted they had any malicious intent, but just to be sure . . .

He turned to Xenovia. "As someone else trained by Sister Griselda, would you vouch for these individuals?"

She replied immediately. "Yes, I would," she said firmly.

Simple, blunt truth. He always knew Xenovia to be a straightforward girl, and if she believed that these girls weren't here to do any harm, then he would lay his suspicions aside as well.

There were more important matters to attend to.

"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, why _have_ you brought them here, Gesualdo-san?" Vasco asked. "While I do enjoy conversing with others, you know that we have business to conduct."

"Oh yeah, the investigation." Dulio waved a hand towards the file cabinets. "Well, if we're gonna be trawling through all of these, I thought it would be better if we brought some help along."

Vasco rolled his eyes. Leave it to Dulio to find a way to indulge in his food connoisseur hobby while also getting out of doing work.

"Wait, wait." Kyoko made a "stop" gesture with her hands in front of her. "I didn't come along just to look through a buncha dusty old files."

"Ah, don't sweat it." Dulio slung an arm around Kyoko's shoulders. "I chased off that big, scary bishop for you, didn't I? Just think of all the delicious food you'll get to eat once you're done!"

"There won't be any food left when we're done!"

Ignoring the commotion erupting behind them, Irina turned towards Vasco with a questioning gaze. "Um . . . what _are_ you looking for in here, Strada-sama? I don't mind helping, but what are we even looking for?"

"Since Gesualdo-san roped you all into this, I suppose I should fill you in, shouldn't I?" He folded his arms. "We're investigating the mysterious disappearances of several members of the Church over the past few months."

The five girls all froze. Could it be . . . ?

"What do you mean by mysterious disappearances, Strada-sama?" Xenovia asked.

"Several nuns have vanished while performing errands; a few Holy Maidens have disappeared without a trace while traveling, and many exorcists never came back from missions that should not have been beyond their capabilities." He paused. "The strangest thing is that we've never been able to find the bodies of any of these individuals." He gestured toward the filing cabinets. "I had hoped that by looking through these records, we would be able to piece together some sort of common discrepancy or pattern for all these cases."

" _Ya know, I think we were supposed to be one of those groups of exorcists that never came back,"_ Kyoko said dryly. _"Think we should tell him?"_

" _This does seem to be our only lead at the moment,"_ Sayaka said. _"I'd say we go for it."_

" _It is possible that this is a trap,"_ Mami warned. _"Pretending to investigate so that we divulge what we know to them is an underhanded, but possible tactic."_

" _Woah, I didn't think you'd be so suspicious, Mami."_

" _I am simply being cautious. And if your claim that the Church is already wary of us is true, then such a tactic is not so unlikely after all."_

" _I hate to interrupt y'all's discussion, but it's kinda a moot point now. Pigtails is already spilling the beans."_

Brought back to reality, the two of them noticed Irina giving Vasco and Dulio the run-down of what happened on their mission.

Sayaka rubbed the back of her head. _"Well, that's awkward."_

Kyoko sighed. _"No kidding. Here we are, debating the best course of action, only for all our efforts to be dashed by a rather glaring oversight."_ Her eyes met Mami's. _"Think we should set up a telepathic link with them? It'll help prevent stuff like this from happening again."_

Mami frowned. _"It would have been preferable if we didn't have to, but this most recent incident has shown that holding back in this regard is not an option."_

" _What about the secret?"_ Sayaka asked.

" _Just say it's magic. They'll eat it up,"_ Kyoko replied.

"Hey! What're y'all up to?" Dulio's cheerful face thrust itself between the three of them. "Having a silent conversation?"

Startled, the three girls realized that they had been silently staring at each other for a while now.

"O – Oh!" Sayaka blinked and made a sheepish expression. "Sorry, just got lost in thought."

" _What a lame excuse."_

" _Hey, I'm doing my best here!"_

"Irina-chan here just finished telling us about your recent mission," Dulio continued. "You three must be pretty strong if you managed to beat Strays as tough as those."

Mami slightly bowed. "Thank you for the compliment, but we wouldn't have been able to do it without Shidou-san's and Quarta-san's help."

Vasco, meanwhile, was frowning heavily. "Strong as you all might be, there's no way a mission like _that_ would be assigned to your group. Not if the proper procedures were followed." He stroked his chin. "And if what you say about other exorcists already having fallen to those Strays is true, then someone must have been very, very careless. Either that . . ." His eyes narrowed. "Or it was an intentional set-up."

"That is indeed what we believe," Xenovia said.

"That is quite troubling." The Cardinal Priest glanced at Sayaka. "Shidou-san said that you found an Excalibur Shard at the site as well? May I see it?"

Sayaka pulled the sword out of the pocket dimension and handed it over.

"Thank you." Vasco eyed the blade intently, his hands trailing along its keen edge, as if searching for something. "Ah. I found something." His expression saddened.

"Hmm?" Dulio, who had been lazily sprawled against a cabinet, perked up as he heard that. "What did you find?"

"A ward designed to mask the sword's Holy aura." His hand clenched, and with a loud _snap_ , the blade's dim glow suddenly intensified, like a lamp with a freshly changed lightbulb.

Dulio whistled. "Man, that's . . . definitely not good." The usually chipper exorcist seemed to grow a lot somber.

The others, however, were confused. "What is the significance of such a ward?" Mami asked.

"This technique is a closely guarded secret," Vasco said. "Can I trust you all to speak nothing of what you learn here?"

They all nodded.

Seeing their response, Vasco continued, "It is a secret weapon, so to speak. As you all know, Holy power is extremely deadly to devils and fallen alike. However, that has resulted in the other two factions being much warier of us, going to great pains to avoid allowing us to land a decisive blow." He paused. "However, what if they did not know that our weapon is, in fact, a Holy Sword? Mere metal is wholly ineffective in comparison against them, and many of them do not even bother trying to dodge such weapons. Combined with plain clothes rather than a standard exorcist uniform . . ."

Their eyes widened as they understood the implications.

"They would be struck down in surprise before they even knew the truth," Irina concluded.

"Huh. That's actually pretty clever." Kyoko said.

Vasco nodded somberly. "Indeed. Of course, such a tactic is only effective if it is kept under wraps, which is why only those specialized in . . . subterfuge, make use of this ward."

Xenovia's lips curled in disgust. "Assassins, you mean."

"Don't be too hard on them. They're just doing their jobs, just like you and me," Dulio said.

She grimaced but seemed to reluctantly concede the point.

Vasco coughed politely. "In any case, for security reasons, the only person who knows how to apply the ward . . ." His face turned grim.

"Is the Pope himself."

xxx

Asia was beginning to think that she had made a mistake.

She glanced at the given address. Then back at the building she stood in front of.

Nope. Still matched.

She was confused by the rather odd choice in venue. After all, why would the Church tell her to go to a fancy Italian restaurant? She had expected her readmission to take place in a church, or at the very least, _some_ place of religious significance.

She perked up as she had a thought. Perhaps, this was how the Pope wished to apologize to her before revoking her excommunication? By treating her at a high-class restaurant?

She flushed as she glanced down at her garments. They were rather plain, by most standards. A simple, modest nun outfit – she didn't think it was suitable for such a luxurious venue.

But she didn't have time to procure anything more formal and being late would be _far_ ruder than showing up underdressed.

So, she would just have to make do. She hoped the Pope would understand.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped through, a bell tinkling to herald her arrival.

"Ah, you're finally here."

Asia blinked. The restaurant was utterly barren, completely devoid of any other people aside from the handsome man who sat at the only table that had been set.

"O – Oh! Y – You're – !"

She recognized this man. He was the one that she had healed, the one they had called a "devil" before lambasting her for her actions and excommunicating her.

He smiled gently at her with a warm and inviting face. "I see you remember me. That is good; it would be difficult for me to thank you if you did not even recall what you did for me."

Asia's confusion was only further compounded. "T – Thank me?"

"Indeed. I was most terribly injured, and if it were not for your compassion . . ." He made a swooning motion. "Why, I may have perished then and there! It is only right that I properly thank you for your deed." He patted the chair next to him. "Come, sit with me."

She fidgeted nervously. "Um . . . I – I was supposed to be meeting someone else here . . ."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You must mean the Pope! I'm afraid he'll be running a bit late; he had a few errands to run, you see. He's a busy man, after all, and he was gracious enough to allow me to use his reservation for my own agenda."

Asia felt her head might explode at this rate. "H – Huh? A – Aren't you a devil? W – Why would the P – Pope be so familiar with a devil?"

He sighed dramatically. "My dear, the time of the Great War is over. The hatred and grudges that have long divided us are in the past now. Now, all of us: angels, fallen angels, and devils . . . we are all simply just another group of people. Albeit people with some very special characteristics, but people nonetheless." He tilted his head at her. "I had thought you would understand this. For is that not the reason that you chose to aid me? Because in your infinite kindness, you could not let another soul suffer, no matter who he may be?"

Asia shifted nervously. "W – Well, I didn't know that you were a devil at the time . . ." she confessed.

"And now that you do know, do you regret your decision?"

She thought about it. About the ridicule she had received at the hands of those she once trusted. About leaving this man to suffer from his wounds. If he had died because she refused to aid him, could she be considered his killer?

Could she bear for her hands to be stained, even just a little bit?

". . . No."

He smiled. "See? I knew you would understand. Now, come sit and keep me company for a while, would you? I'm sure we'll have many things to talk about."

Drawn in by his honeyed words, Asia's legs carried her closer to the table, not entirely of her own will. As she sat down in the stiff, mahogany chair, in front of a set of utensils that probably cost more money than she would ever see in a lifetime, she remembered a question she had forgotten to ask.

"W – What's your name?" she asked.

He blinked. "Oh, dear me! How could I have forgotten something so important." He stood up and bowed gracefully.

"You may call me Diodora Astaroth."

xxx

Asia's first impression of Diodora was that of a complete gentleman.

He was courteous, almost excessively so. He would pour her drink for her, listened patiently whenever she spoke, and took great pains to ensure that the cuisine was to her taste.

His voice was silky, like a spider web; once caught, she found her attention fixated on him, unable to tear away from the grandiose recounting of his travels through many parts of the world. She did not even notice the women when they came bearing dishes, nor when they came to take away finished platters (had she paid closer attention though, she might have noticed that several of them seemed to have oddly vacant expressions).

After finishing a particularly extravagant tale about journeying through the Amazon Forest and wooing the Amazon Queen (which ended rather poorly, as one might imagine), Diodora glanced at his watch and made a surprised expression. "My, how time flies! I hardly notice the passage of the hours when I'm with a lovely flower such as yourself."

Asia blushed. "T – Thank you."

"No need to thank me for that compliment; why, if you took the time to thank each and every man who praised your elegance, you would spend the rest of your life fulfilling that task, such is your beauty!"

Asia reddened even further under the assault of his words.

"But I digress. While I would love to spend more time with you, the hour grows late, and I do believe that this is around the time the Pope said he would be finished with his errands."

Her head shot up. "R – Really?!"

"But of course. Would I lie to you, dear?" He smiled. "In any case, while the Pope's current locale is not too far away, I would be ashamed to call myself a man if I made a radiant beauty such as you make such a trek." He bowed once more. "So, if I may, I would like to trouble you to bear with me a little longer."

"Y- You mean –"

"Yes, I would like to give you a ride."

Asia didn't see any problems with that suggestion. She had spent an entire afternoon with him, and he had been nothing but unfailingly polite and pleasant.

"I – I would be happy to accept!"

He smiled, and if one looked closely, they might have seen some trace of a viper's grin hidden within. "Wonderful. If you would follow me . . . ?"

Diodora led her through the back door and down a stone staircase. Parked at the curb was a sleek, black car; its very appearance gave off an air of luxury and prestige.

He opened a door and beckoned her closer. "Please, be my guest."

As she moved to get in, a sudden breeze kicked up –

"Not so fast."

And like a phantom, _she_ appeared.

Asia's eyes widened. "A – Akemi-san?!"

Diodora's eyes darkened. "And just who might you be?" he asked with a hint of venom.

She stood between the two of them, barring Asia from entering the car. In one hand she held her bow, in the other . . .

 **Thump!**

The bodies of two women hit the ground as Homura indifferently dropped them, their ragged breathing the only sign that they were merely unconscious instead of dead.

"Pay close attention to their faces."

At first, Asia couldn't tell what Homura was talking about. The women were wearing waitress uniforms, and she distinctly recalled that the women serving them had been wearing the exact same outfit.

As her eyes trailed up to the faces, they widened. "T – They're – !"

Homura nodded, knowing exactly what Asia had realized. "Yes. They're both Holy Maidens. _Former_ Holy Maidens." Her eyes narrowed. "I did some digging. They both went missing a while back; no one knew what had happened to them." Her expression became absolutely frigid. "I suppose you're the one who abducted them."

"I – Is that true?" Asia asked with a betrayed expression.

Diodora was silent. However, his gaze darted to-and-fro, calculating everything with a cold efficiency. Suddenly, his expression morphed back into one of warmth. "Nonsense! I would never do such a heinous thing to such lovely ladies. Their resemblance to the missing Holy Maidens is but a coincidence."

"Oh?" Homura arched an eyebrow. "Even if that were true, just where did you plan on taking Argento-san in your car?"

"To the Pope, of course! Speaking of which, we really should get going; if we're late, he might decide to not rescind your excommunication, which would be quite terrible!"

At that, Asia became much more flustered, wringing her hands indecisively as she looked between Diodora and Homura. "A – Akemi-san? I – I'm sure this is all just one big misunderstanding! A – Astaroth-san has been nothing but polite so far . . ."

Homura held up a hand. "One last question." Her eyes narrowed. "If you really planned on taking her to the Pope, then you should be able to answer this question." She paused.

"Where is the Pope?"

"I imagine he would be at his office in the Vatican," Diodora replied without missing a beat. "He is a very busy man, after all."

"Wrong." Homura's gaze was utterly merciless.

He froze. "Oh? And just how would you know if I am correct or not?"

"Because I just came from the Vatican, and the Pope wasn't there," she said. "Digging around their old records wasn't fun, but it gave me the chance to expose your lies." A glare. "Since you clearly didn't even bother with finding out the Pope's whereabouts, you had no intention of taking Argento-san to him. The letter was faked too, wasn't it? That promise of revoking her excommunication was a lie from the start."

Asia's face grew paler as Homura exposed each of his deceptions one-by-one, like a condemned woman slowly being led to her execution.

"In short, this was all just a set up for your own benefit," Homura finished.

Diodora buried his face in the crook of his arm dramatically. "Oh, you wound me with your accusations! I'll admit that my ignorance of the Pope's whereabouts was a mistake, but that's all it was: a mistake! Your other accusations are utterly baseless!" He flashed Asia a charming smile as he stretched out a hand. "Come, dear. I shall get in touch with the Pope, and we can get this all sorted out. No need to stand around listening to this harlot jabber on for any longer."

When Asia made no move to approach, he allowed a slight frown to mar his face. "What's wrong, dear? Don't tell me this cretin has tainted your perception of me so? Pay her no mind!"

"U – Um . . ." Asia shuffled her foot. "A – Akemi-san has been very kind to me . . . and I don't think she would say all that stuff about you unless she had a good reason . . ." She waved her hands in front of her frantically. "I – I am grateful for the hospitality you've shown me today! B – But I think it would be for the best if we parted for now . . ."

Diodora was silent, his head tilted down. Slowly, a dark shadow passed over his face, an ugly peek at the twisted monstrosities that had coiled themselves around his soul. In an instant, his gentleman persona had disappeared like the lie it was.

His hand slowly reached behind him . . .

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Homura interrupted. "While you may have chosen a good spot: relatively isolated considering the quality of the venue, a fight here would still draw the public's attention. And that would bring all three of the factions down upon us."

He glanced up, revealing an ugly expression that belied the fact that the same face had borne such a kind façade a few moments prior. "Tch." His face hardened. "This isn't over."

Demonic circles sprung to life around the unconscious women, whisking them away. Without a word, he slipped into the car.

It drove off into the distance, leaving them with an ill omen hanging above their heads.

Asia seemed visibly sickened by Diodora's sudden transformation. "S – Such malice – !"

"Yes . . ." Homura grimaced. "I shudder to think what would have happened had you gone with that man."

The nun hastily bowed. "T – Thank you very much for helping me again!"

"Think nothing of it." Homura brushed some hair back. "You're certain that your instructions came from the Church?"

"Y – Yes!" Asia straightened back up. "The higher-ups use special stationery for important communications."

"Is that so?" She frowned.

"Something's rotten in the Church . . ."

xxx

The door to his office opened.

One of his men walked in and placed a report on his desk before bowing and walking away.

The Pope glanced at the file. A few bishops were embezzling the Church's funds. Several pastors were blackmailing their flock for various material goods and services. A couple of priests were discretely selling "free passes to Heaven" to the unwary.

Nothing he hadn't seen before.

Once again, he wondered if he should do something about these sinful men, to bring to justice those who would use God's influence for their own gain.

He glanced at the tally etched into his wall. Each line represented someone he had sentenced to death. Or a fate worse than death, in several cases.

What right did he have to mete out justice, when he was the greatest sinner of them all?

Carefully, he folded up the report and placed it along with the others in his safe.

The investigation into the Church's corrupted side had been something he had started when he had still been new to his post. He had been all fired up, ready to turn the institution back into something everyone could be proud of!

But now . . . now, it wasn't his place to bring these evildoers to justice.

It would be his successor's job. And these reports would come in handy when the day came for him to step down.

The door shot open once more, and the Pope looked up as a certain _someone_ stormed into his office.

"You seem awfully displeased," he commented.

Diodora's eyes widened upon seeing him. If possible, he became even more enraged.

"THAT BITCH!" he hollered. "I was right! You were in here all along! But she bluffed her way through! Damn it!" He kicked the wall in his anger.

The Pope continued his work, doing his best to ignore the racket being created by his unwelcome guest. "I take it your plan did not go so well? If you need to vent, kindly do it somewhere else. I'm trying to work here."

"No. No, no." The other man stalked up to him. "You don't get to pretend like it's none of your business." He thrust his face forward. "She was supposed to _come alone!_ That was the deal! You were to make sure of it!"

The Pope rolled his eyes. "I did instruct her to come alone. And my men tell me that she entered the specified location by herself. I fail to see the problem here; any late party-crashers are your responsibility, not mine."

"That _bitch_ knew about the letter! Clearly, you were not thorough enough!"

He narrowed his eyes. "You claim that _I_ was not thorough enough?" He set down his pen as he calmly met the other man's gaze. "The reports seem to indicate that you were unsuccessful in upholding one of your ends of the deal. After all, the exorcists came back alive when they were not supposed to come back at all." His eyes narrowed. "I was unable to prevent the other officials from investigating, but I am glad that I wasn't able to: because I discovered something interesting." His tone grew frosty. "There was quite a bit of demonic blood at the scene. Now, I understand the mission was supposed to be a Stray Devil extermination, but it seemed to be an awfully large amount for a beginner-level mission."

"You know that I value efficiency," Diodora said. "I sought to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. The Strays would kill the exorcists, but they would be weakened enough for the next group to easily handle."

"Regardless, the fact that such powerful Stray Devils were in the area is concerning," the Pope replied. "And the fact that they managed to evade our notice for so long is worrisome as well. Why, it's almost as if someone was helping them." He paused, allowing the implication to sink in.

Diodora hastily changed the subject. "You failed to deliver the sword to me as well," he quickly pointed out.

"It was delivered to the designated area at the designated time," he said. " _You_ were the one who decided the location was to be the same place as your killing zone. If your failure in that regard is the cause of this one as well, then you have no one to blame but yourself."

The usually cleanly-dressed man fell silent once more. "This partnership is over," he announced. "I'm leaving."

The Pope raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? In that case, good riddance."

The door slammed shut, leaving the holy man to his thoughts once more.

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. While he certainly wouldn't miss the other man, that did leave him with several problems.

Problems that he would now have to deal with himself.

He had been prepared for this eventuality. In fact, one could say he was even looking forward to it.

Because he was tired; tired of the deception, the killing, the underhanded dealings . . . he couldn't bear it anymore.

At least the Church would be in good hands. Vasco would likely be a _much_ better Pope than he ever was.

But first, he had one last loose end to tie up. If the sword fell into the hands of the other Church officials, it was only a matter of time before they came looking for him.

As he stood up to leave, he paused as he remembered something.

"Right, I shouldn't leave this lying around."

He went back to his desk and took something out: a picture that he slipped into his pocket.

"Off we go, then."

He glanced back once more at the doorway, taking in the room he had spent most of his life in, devoting himself to a god who was now dead.

He closed the door for the last time.

xxx

Diodora was having a bad day.

With several of his plans falling through due to bad luck and ill-timed coincidences, it was all he could do to keep his anger in check.

With some . . . _external_ aid, of course.

A muffled protest.

He ignored it and adjusted his position, making himself more comfortable.

Now that he had broken off contact with the Pope, collecting his latest (unwilling) prize would be more difficult than ever. Especially now that she was wary of him. All thanks to that black-haired _bitch_.

And that was another thing to add to his list. The bitch had to die, and he was going to make it _slow_.

But before he watched her life slowly ebb away, he was going to crush her in battle. And to do that, he needed more power. His ladies were quite lovely, but none of them had the martial expertise he was looking for.

A stifled groan.

Ignoring that as well, he pushed down harder to stop further struggling.

For scenarios like these, he found that enough excess power was sufficient to make up for a lack of technique. Thanks to his . . . _experimental activities_ with his peerage, he had learned how to manipulate their Evil Pieces in ways that no one had ever done before.

One of his favorite discoveries was the ability to force their demonic energies to wildly fluctuate. He always found it entertaining to watch them as their bodies were jostled from the inside by powers they could not control, to see their faces increasingly contort in pain and discomfort as the internal chaos climbed higher and higher –

It was that very technique that he intended to leverage for his little revenge scheme. With proper amplifiers that he managed to acquire from his contacts (he had to call in a _lot_ of favors to get more of these), he hypothesized that the amount of unrestrained demonic energy that would be generated would be enough to forcibly induce mutations like that of a high-class Stray Devil, with all the power to match.

Another bout of thrashing and he turned to look down at his victim with an annoyed expression.

It was his Queen, one of his very first conquests. He still remembered the day he first saw her, the day her porcelain visage and silky hair enthralled him and borne in his dark and sinful heart the desire to see her face _twisted in agony – !_

A desire that he was fulfilling at that very moment.

He was straddling her, keeping her pinned with her arms behind her back against the floor. With one hand, he held her mouth open, with the other –

A gagging noise and he pulled his hand back to allow her some relief.

The moment she relaxed during that moment of reprieve, he _thrust_ his hand back forward, forcing his tweezers to violently scrape the small, black snake it held against the back of her throat.

As he allowed her violent choking and coughing to wash over him, soothing him, he ruminated further on his plans.

The forced mutations would likely be irreversible. And he most certainly did _not_ want to keep a peerage of such heinous creatures. But he had been growing tired of this batch anyway, so he wasn't too bothered by the prospect of sacrificing them; in fact, he relished the opportunity to start fresh.

And the first member of his new peerage would, of course, be the very nun he was chasing after even now.

He gave a small smile. While he normally preferred to seduce his to-be peerage members, he was willing to resort to brute force as well.

And in this instance, that was the only option left to him.

He found that he was looking forward to it.

As the struggles underneath him began to weaken, he decided to show a small amount of mercy and release the snake he had been holding, allowing it to finally meld with its host.

There were far easier ways to go about implanting Ophis's snakes. He himself took one in rather painlessly.

But after the day he had so far, he wasn't in a very forgiving mood.

He stood up, stepping over his Queen's limp form and turning to the others in his peerage. They were standing in a neat line by the wall watching his display, a small amount of dread on their usually vacant faces.

He smiled.

"You're up next, dear."


	12. From that big guillotine

" _What's going on here, Madoka?"_

After dropping Asia back off at Kuoh (with some help from her magic), Homura had headed back into Vatican City to investigate further. Now perched atop a rooftop of one of the many buildings in this large city, she was having a nice, _stern_ talk with her friend.

" _Remember how I mentioned dealing with the problems in the Church?"_

" _I do recall that conversation, yes."_

" _Asia-chan's rather unfortunate set-up was likely instigated by one of the corrupt officials in the Church, if what you said is true."_

" _I see."_ Homura frowned. _"In that case, it is possible that they will try to abduct her again. That man who came for her seemed awfully persistent."_

" _Don't worry! I've already enacted a plan to prevent incidents like these from happening again!"_

" _Oh?"_ Homura's curiosity was piqued. _"And just what plan is this?"_

" _I sent Sayaka-chan and the others to investigate!"_

That nagging doubt resurfaced, bringing her insecurities to the forefront of her mind. Why did Madoka pick the others instead of her for the mission? Was Madoka unsatisfied with her performance? Was she not good enough?

She clamped down on her emotions; she had to remain strong.

" _Is that it?"_

" _Huh?"_

" _I mean, is that the entirety of your plan?"_

" _Um . . . yes?"_

" _And just how exactly are they supposed to investigate the Church's secret backdoor deals?"_

" _Well, I told them to disguise themselves as exorcists. That way, they could sneak in and have a look at the Church's inner workings!"_

" _While I have no doubts about Tomoe-san's abilities, the same cannot be said for Sakura-san or Miki-san. Especially not for such a delicate operation."_

" _I sent two genuine exorcists along with them too. They'll be able to guide them and cover up any minor mistakes the others make. Michael-san also had them undergo some training beforehand, so there's that too."_

" _I suppose we'll just have to see how it all plays out."_ Homura sighed. _"You could've just asked me to do it, you know. I'm no stranger to secrecy and subterfuge."_

" _Ehehehe . . ."_ Homura could almost _sense_ her friend's sheepish look over the link. _"I felt like I was relying on you too much lately, with what happened in Kuoh and at the peace conference. And the other girls wanted to help, so I thought this was a good chance for them to get out of Heaven for a bit."_ Madoka sighed. _"I was also hoping you could use this time to relax a bit, but it seems fate doesn't want it to be so."_

She wanted to believe her. That her friend's selection had been nothing more than an idle whim based on a sense of fairness. And knowing Madoka, that was likely all it was.

And yet, that empty, hollow feeling of disappointment in her heart refused to abate.

" _Now that I'm involved, I may as well see this through to the end. Do you have any information regarding their whereabouts at the present?"_

" _Sadly, no, I don't. Keeping a telepathic channel over such a distance is not very feasible."_

Homura was surprised. _"But you're doing it with me right now,"_ she pointed out.

" _You're a special case, Homura-chan."_ The goddess laughed warmly. _"That ribbon is more important than you think. Don't lose it, alright?"_

At its mention, Homura stroke the pink ribbon nestled in her hair, sending a shivering tingle over her entire body. She hadn't thought the fact that she needed to touch it before establishing a link with Madoka was mere coincidence, and here was as good an affirmation as any.

" _I promise. I'll keep it safe."_

" _Good, good. Now then –"_ Madoka suddenly cut off.

" _Oh . . . oh dear."_

" _Madoka? What's wrong?"_ Homura asked sharply.

" _It seems the girls I sent for this mission have been taken hostage. And the captor is demanding I appear before him, or else they'll die."_

Homura had several questions. One of them being how she even _knew_ what was happening, but there was a far more pressing issue to address first. _"You're not seriously going to give in to their demands, are you?"_

" _. . ."_

Homura had a bad feeling. _"Madoka . . . ."_

" _Sorry. Gotta go!"_

The link was cut.

" _Madoka? Madoka!"_

With no response forthcoming, Homura stomped her foot in frustration. "Damn it! Does she ever _think_ before rushing into a dangerous situation?"

A small part of her knew that was simply part of who Madoka was, that this trait of hers was possibly the only reason her friend was able to save her on that fateful day so long ago.

But right now, she was too frustrated to care.

A sudden flare of magical energy shot up in the distance, and Homura immediately whipped out her Soul Gem to check the direction.

"That way!"

She leaped forward, alternating between her physical ability and her magic to set the fastest speed she could without overly exerting herself.

It was only a guess, but somehow, she knew that burst of energy came from Madoka.

Now she could only hope she wasn't too late.

xxx

Mami stared up at a very familiar building.

It was the apartment building their mission had taken them to just yesterday. It was far more dilapidated than before, their confrontation with the two Stray Devils having carved huge chunks out of the ground near it and the building itself.

Somehow, it was still standing. And if things went well, it would _still_ be standing by the end of the day.

"So this is where the Pope is holed up, huh?" Kyoko peered at the building. "Can't say I appreciate his choice of venue. Being here once was enough for me."

After discovering the Pope's involvement with the various incidents that had led to the disappearance of many members of the Church, their group, along with Vasco and Dulio, had gone straight to the Pope's office to demand answers.

Unfortunately, they had only found an empty room. A cursory search had revealed a letter addressed to them lying on the desk.

Its contents were surprising, to say the least.

In it, the Pope announced his resignation, stating that he was not fit to keep the post. He then declared Vasco Strada to be his replacement.

The elderly man had looked none too pleased by the news ("I'm too old to be stuck behind a desk filling out papers," he had grumbled), but with no one else immediately suitable for the position and the paperwork pile growing larger and larger by the minute, the Cardinal Priest (now Pope) had reluctantly started on his new duties (first and foremost being working through the suspiciously large stack of papers the previous Pope had left behind).

However, the former Pope had then written that he had stolen several secret Church documents, including the one detailing the procedure to create the holy aura suppression ward. And that he would only return them if the five girls (and only the five of them) met him at a prearranged location. If they refused, then he threatened to leak its contents to the other factions.

When asked how devastating such an act would be, Vasco and Dulio had both grimaced.

"If the other factions knew about the ward, then they might look back on the suspicious deaths of several of their members and wonder if the Church had secretly been behind them," Vasco had said. "They would have no definite proof of course, but . . . ."

"The mere thought that the Church can have such deadly assassins could cause them to distrust us," Dulio had said.

"Indeed. The mere planting of those seeds of suspicion could cause irreparable damage to inter-faction relationships, which would shatter whatever progress we managed to achieve at the peace conference Michael-san attended."

None of the girls wanted Madoka's efforts at the conference to have been in vain (not that the current Pope nor the Strongest Exorcist knew about her involvement), so they had readily volunteered to go retrieve the documents. And while the two Church officials were worried about their safety (the former Pope _had_ tried to have them killed, after all), after checking the list of personnel and seeing that the man had not taken anyone with him as support, they decided that one mere human wouldn't pose much of a threat and had let them go.

So now here they were.

But before they went in, there was one more thing they needed to take care of . . .

"Shidou-san. Quarta-san."

The exorcists paused and turned to look at her. "What is it?" Irina asked.

Mami paused. She and the other two magical girls had discussed this last night, and they had concluded that it would be best if they established a telepathic link with the two exorcists. After all, on a battlefield . . .

Miscommunication kills.

They would play it off as magic (technically true) and hope that similar techniques were common enough in this world that the two girls would assume it was one of those techniques.

"Before we go in," Mami said, "we would like to establish a telepathic link with you two. Just in case something unexpected occurs, we will be able to communicate quickly and efficiently without alerting our enemies."

The two exorcists blinked.

"Wait, telepathy?!" Irina asked.

"Interesting," Xenovia said. "Is telepathy another form of magic you Magicians possess?"

"Yes, it is," Mami said. "It is a very useful technique."

Irina's glance darted between her and the other two girls. "Wait. Does that mean you three have been talking to each other secretly all this time?" she asked with a hint of accusation.

Sayaka looked sheepish while Kyoko just turned around and whistled innocently. "Well, kind of," Sayaka admitted. "We wanted to keep our magic a secret, which is why we didn't tell you about this sooner. Sorry."

"Curious that you would choose now of all times to reveal this," Xenovia said. She crossed her arms. "Was there perhaps an incident that caused you all to change your minds?"

When the three girls pointedly refused to meet their gazes after that, Irina connected the dots. "Wait. Let me guess." She held up a hand. "You three had secretly decided to do something, but Xenovia and I did something else before you all could tell us your decision. And now you're bringing us in so that doesn't happen again. Sound about right?"

"Something like that," Kyoko admitted.

Irina sighed. "Well, I won't ask for further details. I can already kind of guess what it might be." She crossed her arms. "And like you say, swift and efficient communication is an incredible tactical advantage, so . . ." She glanced at her partner, who gave her a nod. "We see no reason to refuse." She uncrossed her arms. "So, how do we do this then?"

"If you will just wait a moment." Mami closed her eyes and concentrated on the two girls in front of her.

Invisible threads stretched out, curling around them and adding them to the network she already shared with Kyoko and Sayaka.

" _Can you hear me?"_

Irina blinked. "Woah, that's cool."

" _Think your thoughts, and we should be able to hear them."_ Mami said.

" _What a fascinating experience."_ Xenovia seemed amazed. _"You must teach me how to perform this magic sometime."_

" _Maybe,"_ Mami hedged. _"This technique is quite difficult. I do not expect very many to be able to learn it."_

" _Hello? Can everyone hear me?"_ Irina said.

" _Yeah, yeah, we can hear ya just fine Pigtails."_

" _Will you stop calling me that?!"_

" _I don't think she'll ever stop,"_ Sayaka noted.

Mami coughed politely. _"Let's not use telepathy unless necessary. We don't want to arouse suspicion by seemingly being able to hold entire silent conversations with each other."_

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Kyoko said aloud.

The others nodded. "That would be wise," Xenovia said. "A powerful technique is best leveraged sparingly, lest the enemy grow accustomed to it."

"Now that we're all adjusted, shall we head in? The Pope . . . excuse me, the _former_ Pope is waiting," Mami said.

The five of them stepped into the abandoned building.

xxx

He could feel it the moment they stepped into the room.

Even without turning around, he knew their gazes were boring into his back, judging him for his sins, his crimes against those he was meant to protect. He wasn't bothered by such glares; he had long decided that he deserved much worse for his misdeeds.

"Ah, you all came. I'm glad." He turned around. "I would introduce myself, but I think you all know who I am already. Or who I _was_ , at the very least."

Xenovia cut straight to the point, drawing and pointing his blade at him. "What did you do with the secret documents?"

"Oh, those?" He waved a hand dismissively. "I didn't actually take them; I merely misplaced them. They should be at the bottom of that stack of paperwork I left for Strada-san. I suspect he won't find them for quite some time."

Shock appeared on all their faces. "W – Wait, if you don't actually have the documents . . ." Sayaka trailed off.

"Then exactly what was ya purpose for bringing us out here?" Kyoko asked.

He slipped his hands into his pockets. "It's simple, really. I called you all out here because I knew there was something special about all of you." His eyes narrowed. "You three in particular."

Irina frowned as she watched him stare down the three faux exorcists. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sure it's nothing," Mami said, although there was a trace of uncertainty in her voice.

"Nothing, you say? Would you consider the fact that you three aren't human _nothing_?"

They all froze.

"Wh – what are you talking about?!" Sayaka laughed weakly.

Xenovia glanced at him disapprovingly. "Indeed. While they may have skills that others do not, I hardly think that gives you reason to call them _not human_."

"I would be inclined to agree. However, after considering the background check I had performed for each of them, one might begin to think otherwise," he said.

"A background check? Wait . . . ." Kyoko's eyes widened.

"Indeed. You see . . ." He held up a finger. "Sayaka Miki, Kyoko Sakura, and Mami Tomoe do not exist. They have no birth certificates, no school diplomas, no entries in any family register, no records at all, essentially. Why it's almost as if you three appeared out of thin air. Like ghosts. Or perhaps . . ." His finger fell forward to point at them accusingly. "Spirits?"

Silence descended upon them once more.

Seeing Irina and Xenovia staring at them in shock, Mami replied confidently, "I can assure you that we are nothing of the sort."

"Oh?" He tiled his head. "But you don't deny that you're not human?"

". . ."

"Well, no matter. While an interesting tidbit, that was not the primary reason I called you out here."

"Wow, really? You don't ask people out so you can relentlessly invade their privacy for fun?" Kyoko asked in a sardonic tone.

He smiled in amusement. "I'm afraid not. No, the real reason I called you all out here . . ." He spread his arms out. "Is because I suspect you all know of someone. Someone in Heaven who should not be there."

A dead silence. It was as if the room itself was holding its breath.

He lowered his arms. "Tell me. Would your goddess weep for you if you died?"

They all froze.

"Wha – what are you talking about?" Sayaka tried to feign ignorance.

"Drop the act. I know about her. The usurper in Heaven." His eyes became slits. "Now, answer the question."

"Why should we answer any questions of yours?" Mami asked. "We have no reason to give you any sort of advantage."

"Oh? But are you not her emissaries? Her messengers to spread her name far and wide? Shouldn't you relish the opportunity to speak of her?"

The girls paused.

"W – Well, I'm not so sure about that . . ." Sayaka said.

Kyoko frowned. "Eh, what's the harm in him knowing that Pinkie is a bleeding heart?"

"Is she now? That's good to know; thank you very much." He spread his arms out. "Hear me, new goddess of Heaven! If you value the lives of your servants, then you will show yourself here. If you do not . . ." He held up a remote. "Then their lives are forfeit."

They were all frozen in shock.

"W – wait, does he mean . . ." Irina trailed off.

"A trap," Xenovia concluded grimly.

Kyoko took a step forward, but the former Pope shot her a warning look. "No sudden movements. Striking me down will not get you out of this situation. This building is rigged with explosives, and killing me will simply trigger a dead man's switch."

"B – But, if you hit that button, you'll die too!" Sayaka exclaimed.

The man shrugged. "I am prepared to die. I do not expect to live to see the end of this day."

"You're crazy!"

Kyoko opened a link to Mami. " _Think you can snag him with your ribbons before he hits that button of his?"_

" _I'm not sure."_ Mami's eyes scanned her target. " _He is wary of us. I won't be able to catch him off-guard."_

" _Tch."_ Kyoko folded her arms. " _It's not a big deal if the three of us die here since we'll just wake up. But those two . . ."_ She glanced at the bona fide exorcists.

Mami followed her gaze. _"Right. Their safety is our priority at this moment."_ She spoke aloud, trying to buy time. "What do you hope to gain by calling her? You've already left the Church behind!"

He paced around the room. "While I have cut most of my ties, there is still one more loose end that I must resolve." His tone was chilly, that of a man determined to see something through to the end. "And if I cannot, I suppose I will have to settle for your lives as a consolation prize."

"That will not be necessary."

There was no flash, no fanfare, no indication of any kind. One moment there was an empty space, and the next she was simply _there_.

"Wh – what?!" Sayaka was reeling in surprise. "H – How did you get here so fast?!"

Her eyes never left his. "The Holy System assists me in granting prayers. While his prayer was not the most orthodox, it was close enough." She frowned. "Now, what do you want?"

"A mere photo does not do you justice," he commented idly, looking at her intently. He blinked, seemingly recollecting himself. "Ah, pardon me. I have kept you all waiting long enough." He straightened up. "The reason I have called you out here, Goddess . . ."

"Is to kill you."

Another dead silence. Sayaka thought that if any more bombshells were dropped, she would be dumbfounded for the rest of her life.

"K – Kill her?!" Irina seemed outraged. "You're crazy!"

Mami's gaze had hardened, her eyes tracking his every move. "You have some lofty ambitions. But how could you possibly hope to carry them out?"

He waved the remote in the air. "Did I forget to mention? The explosives are packed with magical energy. This building won't be so much as destroyed as utterly erased from existence."

"Then why haven't ya detonated them yet?"

He turned to Kyoko, who had noticed something she found suspicious. "Pinkie's right there. I'm surprised ya haven't pulled the trigger yet."

"Because there's one more thing." He gestured to a series of lines scrawled on the floor, which had gone unnoticed thus far. "I also took the liberty to hire a Magician to create a sealing circle for me. After all, there is always the chance she might escape before the explosions do their work."

Xenovia frowned. "A sealing circle is useless if the target is not in it," she pointed out.

"You're right." He smiled thinly as he turned to her. "Would you kindly step in it?"

She was surprised by his blunt request. "And why should I?"

"Because if you do, I'll let the others go."

"What's stopping you from pressing the button as soon as I step into the circle?"

"Nothing, really." He shrugged. "You may not believe me, but I've never reneged on a deal. And I've made many deals in my life." He laughed sardonically. "Although now, I wish that I had backed out of some of them," he muttered.

She stared at him, long and hard.

"If that's not enough for you," he said, "then consider that with your death, theirs would no longer be needed. What are followers, without someone to follow?"

Still, Madoka did not say a word.

"Hey . . ." Sayaka did not like where this was going. "You're not seriously considering this, are you?"

She finally spoke. "There is no doubt that being caught in this explosion would be the end of you." She glanced meaningfully at the exorcists. "I, on the other hand, have a chance to survive even if I'm trapped in a seal." Her gaze was resolute. "I am willing to take that chance."

She walked forward, and despite their protests, stepped into the circle.

"I'm glad we have an understanding." He flicked his fingers, and the sealing circle flared to life.

Immediately, Madoka grimaced and flinched backward, only for her back to hit an invisible wall.

"H – Hey! Are you alright?!" Sayaka called out in concern.

"I'm fine. It just drained a lot of my power, that's all. I'll be adjusted in no time!" She gave her friends a weak smile.

"I wouldn't be worried about her if I were you." He gave the five of them a flat stare. "You have three minutes to vacate these premises. What happens after that is no longer my concern."

"Y – You're not getting away with this!" Irina yelled. Both she and Xenovia were practically radiating bloodlust, ready to leap at the former Pope with their swords drawn.

Suddenly, Kyoko spun around and took off, speeding down the hallway.

" _H – Hey! Where are you going? You're not seriously leaving, are you?!"_ Sayaka said.

" _Course not! But we won't get anything done if we just stay in there!"_ Kyoko's pace increased. _"We have three minutes to figure out a way to disable him without letting him see us coming! Every second matters here, Rookie!"_

Understanding Kyoko's intentions, the rest of them took off after her.

Looking back, Mami saw the two exorcists keeping up with them. _"You may wish to leave this to us, Shidou-san, Quarta-san. If worse comes to worse, we'll have a better chance at surviving than either of you."_

" _No way!"_ Irina was adamant. _"I told her that I would support her! I'm not going to break my vow the moment my life is in danger!"_

" _Indeed."_ Xenovia was of similar mind. _"And this is bigger than just us. What he said back there was correct:_ _what are followers, without someone to follow?_ She paused. _"I imagine there are many others who depend on her, and if her survival requires us to sacrifice ourselves, I believe it will have been for the greater good."_

" _. . . She wouldn't want us to do that . . ."_ Sayaka's voice was barely a whisper.

" _Save your breath! We don't have the time to dissuade them."_ Kyoko said in an irritated tone. _"Right now, we need a plan. I think I saw some windows in that room, so let's see if we can make use of those!"_

" _Right!"_ the rest of them replied.

xxx

Madoka stared down the man who was trying to kill her. Despite everything he had supposedly done, she couldn't detect any malice or ill intent in him at all. Just a deep-seated feeling of tiredness, the weariness of someone who had lived too long and seen too much.

She hoped the others would be okay. And she also hoped that they wouldn't be too mad at her for pulling such a risky stunt afterward (if there even was an afterward for her, but she wanted to remain optimistic about it).

Truth be told, she didn't know how likely she was to survive the blast. She had no details about what kind of devices the former Pope was using, and the seal had stolen away much of her already reduced strength. It was a very real possibility that she could die here.

She was depending on her friends to find a way to stop him. She had no doubt they were working out how to do exactly that right now. That was just the kind of people they were.

It was a risky move. Homura would probably even call it a foolish move (scratch that, her overprotective friend would most _definitely_ call it a foolish move. And use much stronger words while she was at it, too).

But, this was the only move she could make that would save everyone.

Xenovia's life. Irina's life. _His_ life. They were people she had met not that long ago, but she was loath to allow even such recent acquaintances to die.

Even if one of them was trying to kill her.

But that was just who she was. Homura would say that she was too naïve, that she was too kind for her own good, but she didn't want to live in a world where kindness could be a burden. She would sooner change the world herself.

But for now, the first order of business was to figure out how to survive. She couldn't struggle against the seal to try and break it, since that would likely provoke him into detonating the explosives sooner. Perhaps she could try to buy her friends some more time? A conversation would be a good distraction.

He was still staring at her, watching her every move. Good. She needed to keep it that way.

"What would you have done if I hadn't stepped into the circle?"

"I imagine I would have taken my life, along with those of your followers. And you would escape, alive but wounded."

"That was a rather risky gambit, then. You were relying on me being compassionate enough to risk myself for my followers."

He nodded. "Indeed, I was. But it was a calculated risk; for Michael to give up the Throne of Heaven to someone, they would have to be a wellspring of kindness."

She frowned. "If you knew that already, then why do you detest me so? Enough to set a plot to take my life?"

"Oh, I don't have anything against you personally." He waved a hand dismissively. "I would have tried to kill any deity in the same position as you."

"But why? Heaven would benefit greatly from a deity's support!"

"What would benefit Heaven, may not necessarily benefit the people."

Her frown grew deeper. She still didn't understand his motives. "What do you mean?"

He turned away, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Tell me: did you ever plan to make your debut to the common masses?"

". . . Eventually," she admitted.

"Why?"

She blinked. "Because I wanted to tell them the truth."

"And?" His tone was relentless.

"And what?"

"What was your other reason?" he demanded.

She fidgeted. "Well, it would also let me get more faith. And with more faith, I could do more to support Heaven and the Church."

He sighed. "Of course." His lips curled in disgust. "You gods are all the same."

She was indignant. "I – I am not!"

"But you are." He turned back to fully face her. "You think only of yourselves; you answer people's wishes not because you care about them, but because you want their faith. And in your gluttonous pursuit for more power, you will announce your name far and wide, and with it, you will also declare that God is dead." His eyes narrowed into a glare. "And with that one proclamation, you will ruin countless lives."

She flinched. She still remembered that fateful day in Vatican City, the day she had ruined a nun's life by telling her that God was dead. It was something she had dwelled on endlessly, wondering what she could have done to prevent such a tragedy.

"Imagine a childhood friend that you have known for all your life.," he continued. "Someone you played with, spoke with, laughed with every day. Imagine that one day, they move away, and a stranger comes to call on you in their stead. How would you feel? Lost, I imagine. Perhaps even resentful." He paused. "With the shadow of your old friend hanging over you, you would not be able to interact with the newcomer fairly. You would always be secretly comparing them to someone else. Someone they can never be." He sighed. "Even if you are as kind and compassionate as you claim, no one will care. They won't be able to see past God to see _you_ for who you truly are."

Unsettled by his claims, she desperately tried to find a rebuttal. "I – It'll just take a while for them to adjust!"

"I admit, it is likely a few will. Most likely the younger generations, who have not yet gotten overly attached to God. But the older ones? Those who have had deep-seated beliefs ingrained in them from a young age? They will not be able to make the transition." His eyes stared into hers. "And with the very foundation of their faith destroyed, they will not be able to pull themselves back together. On the day you make your grand proclamation, they will die, and empty husks will be borne in their wake."

He sighed and turned away, clearly affected by the intensity of his own words.

"Would you condemn so many to such a fate?" he asked softly.

Madoka was stunned. She had never thought of it that way: that forcing so many to confront a painful truth could be a greater sin than maintaining a lie. It went against her very nature to be honest and upfront.

"I . . . I never thought –"

"Some of the greatest atrocities in human history were committed by people acting without thinking. For the sake of Christians around the world, I do not intend to allow you to have the opportunity to make that same mistake."

Her head was whirling with thoughts. Was he right? Had she made a mistake by taking up the role of God? In her endless quest to help others, was she doing more harm than good?

She remembered a despairing face, eyes hollow with the realization that she had been praying to a god who would never answer.

But that wasn't all, was it? It couldn't be. There was another, she was sure. Someone else. Someone she had helped a long time ago in a formerly abandoned church in Kuoh.

She remembered a joyous face, eyes brimming with tears of relief from her new lease on life, the result of her cooperation with Asia.

She remembered the woman's grateful prayers, her earnest gratitude.

No. It wasn't a mistake. She _refused_ to let it be a mistake.

She would just have to approach things differently.

He glanced at his watch. "I believe time is almost up."

As his hand reached for the remote, Madoka's eyes darted to the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of gold, azure, or perhaps even crimson –

But there was nothing. Not even a trace.

He looked up, the faintest hint of sorrow tinting his resolute expression.

"I am sorry it had to be like this."

His hand moved –

"I won't do it!" she blurted out.

He paused and glanced at her. "Do what?"

"I won't . . . I won't tell them. That God is dead."

"You only say that because your life is at stake."

"No, I mean it. I don't care about faith. I don't care about power. Even if no one prays to me, even if no one acknowledges me, I will still watch over them. I will still grant their prayers; I will still bless their lives. Because –" Her voice lowered.

"I just want them to be happy."

She looked up, eyes filled to the brim with a boundless pool of emotion.

"Is that too much to ask?"

xxx

He hesitated.

Her words were passionate, powerful. They tugged at his heart-strings, appealed to the small fragment of optimism left in him.

He wanted to say that she was only pretending to care, only saying honeyed words to make him doubt his resolve.

But he remembered what he felt as he looked upon her visage in the quiet confines of his office.

He remembered what he felt when he saw the look of dawning horror on her face, the despair from what she had done to that pitiful nun.

He felt that same feeling well up within him now.

But he couldn't stop. He _mustn't_ stop.

Slowly, shakily, he raised the remote.

"The world is cruel," he whispered. "Happiness is not so easily found in this world."

A finger pressed down.

And nothing happened.

He looked at his hand and realized that his thumb had missed.

No. It hadn't missed.

He had chosen to not push the button.

 _Why?_

Hadn't his resolve been ironclad? Hadn't he willingly steeped himself in sin for the sake of protecting the masses? When had he started doubting himself so?

Tears were clouding his vision. As he blinked to clear them, he looked up and saw the goddess's own tear-stricken face.

Ah. That was it. It was because of _her._

She was different. She wasn't like the other gods, who played with mortals for their own amusement.

She genuinely cared.

Her words were not honeyed, they were honey itself. They were sweet not because she made them to be, but because she really _was_ that kind, that optimistic.

He knew. Ever since he had laid eyes on that photo of her so long ago, he had a notion as to what kind of person she was. Seeing that videotape of her had merely confirmed it.

But even so, he had tried to paint her as something else, something evil, something he could hate and eliminate without regret.

But he couldn't do it.

After all, who could hate Hope herself?

That was what he had felt from her, he realized. Hope that he was doing the right thing, that his sacrifices would be for the greater good. Hope that he could one day rest in peace, knowing that his work would ease the burden of future generations.

He couldn't do it. Because if she really meant what she said, it would be perfect. After all, how could God's death be concealed better . . .

Than by having someone play the role of God?

It was a long shot. But for the first time in a very, very long time . . .

He had hope for the future.

He deactivated the remote and threw it on the ground. He stomped on it, crushing it under his heel.

That was it, then. His final gambit was finished, and it had failed spectacularly.

He found he didn't mind all that much.

The windows shattered as a flash of purple darted into the room, tackling him to the floor.

Manifesting into a girl, she grabbed him by his collar and pushed him up against the wall.

"And just what," she hissed, "do you think _you're_ doing?"

He sighed tiredly. "You can let me go. I've given up."

The girl's eyes narrowed, clearly doubting his words.

The goddess called out to her. "Homura-chan!"

She turned towards her. "Madoka!" Her face creased in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine! And he really did give up –"

"My, my, what a lively party we have here."

A smooth, silky voice caused them all to froze. Through the windows Homura had just destroyed, a man and several women flew in on leathery bat-wings.

His eyes widened. "Y – You!"

"Oh, if it isn't Pope-sama," the newcomer said. "Although, perhaps I should say _former_ Pope-sama?"

"Y – You were a devil all along?! Astaroth-san!"

"Yes, yes, I am. Ironic, isn't it? That you've been making deals with a devil all this time!" Astaroth laughed. "But I'm not interested in you, right now. I have a certain score to settle." His eyes locked onto Homura. "And I intend to make it _long_ and _painful_."

Homura dropped him and turned around. "I should have known there was something wrong with you."

"Don't feel bad; better people have been fooled by my charisma." He smiled, a sickly-sweet thing. "Oh? What's this now?" His eyes darted to Madoka. "Is that the radiant goddess herself? And all trussed up for the taking, too! I seem to have found myself a nice bonus."

"You're not laying a finger on her!" Homura hissed, stepping in front of her friend protectively.

"On the contrary, I believe I _will_ be laying a finger on her. Several, in fact. Perhaps even a whole hand?" He grinned. "But if you want to stop me, be my guest."

The women with him screeched as their forms twisted, convulsing as limbs and other appendages seemingly _sprouted_ out of their bodies, creating massive monstrosities that seemed stitched together from several creatures.

Despite the horrendous transformation his peerage had just undergone, Astaroth was still smiling, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"I just _love_ it when they scream."

xxx

Kyoko was no stranger to plans failing spectacularly.

She had gotten caught shoplifting from hapless store owners on numerous occasions (she always managed to outrun them in the end, though), and there were many times in fights where a plan of attack failed, and she had to improvise on the fly.

So, when she ran outside only to find a man and a posse of women gathered out there, she thought she would only have to make up an excuse on the spot to shoo them away.

But when the man took one look at her and mumbled something about "exorcists" and "getting rid of witnesses," alarms started going off in her head.

And when several of his posse suddenly mutated into horrific-looking monsters that looked _far_ too much like those Stray Devils she had encountered a while back, she realized that yes, there was a god out there other than Madoka and he _definitely_ had a bone to pick with her.

It was probably the god of store-owners. Heaven knows that she had robbed enough stores in her lifetime to warrant divine intervention.

Except there was nothing _divine_ about these things. Quite the opposite in fact. And while they weren't nearly as strong as the Strays she had fought before, there were just so _many_ of them.

She batted aside something that looked like a hydra, except all the heads were human and had disproportionately large teeth (she was going to call it "Bitey"). No sooner had she done so than a woman with enough spikes protruding out of her to make a porcupine jealous came rushing at her (this one was Spiky), forcing her to leap aside. And of course, out of the blue, a figure dashed towards her, charging on all fours with the speed of a tiger and a head with devil's horns outstretched (Chargey, she guessed? It seemed to really like using that tactic).

With no time to dodge, Kyoko planted her spear against the ground and prepared to face it head-on.

 **Squelch!**

Clearly, this one had been dumber than the rest. Chargey hadn't even _tried_ to avoid her spear (probably because it hadn't bothered looking up) and had gotten impaled straight through the chest.

Shoving the body off her weapon, Kyoko took her moment of reprieve to survey her surroundings.

The others had run outside soon after the brawl had begun, getting caught up in it as well.

Mami had run out of ammo at some point. She was now flinging her muskets around without a care for secrecy, devastating her foes with an unrelenting barrage. Several bodies already lay crumpled at her feet, a testament to her skillful marksmanship.

Sayaka was managing to hold her own as well. She stood in front of Mami, swatting away foes who drew near to give her mentor the space she needed to fire off her shots.

Xenovia and Irina stood back-to-back, lashing out at any foes that drew near with their blades of light. Their coordination was superb, each one of them seemingly knowing what the other planned to do and acting appropriately.

Kyoko was the only lone wolf in this arrangement. But that was fine; she was used to working alone, and she bet she could take down just as many as one of the partnered groups.

A few dozen swings, stabs, and gunshots later, the bodies of all the Stray Devils lay fallen on the ground.

Kyoko planted her spear at her feet. "Think that's the last of them."

The others slowly relaxed as well.

"I have never seen so many Stray Devils all at once before," Xenovia said. "This is a highly unusual occurrence."

"They weren't even that strong either. Strays that have lived long enough to develop these types of mutations are generally much tougher than this," Irina added.

Kyoko frowned as she listened. There had been quite a few of them, twelve in total, but individually, they had been rather weak, taking only one or two solid blows to bring down for good.

Just like familiars. But that begged the question: where was the witch?

She recalled the man she had briefly glimpsed before being attacked. Could he be . . . ?

Glancing up, she realized that she could vaguely make out the din of battle from above. And the windows to the upper floors had been shattered.

"Shit. The others slipped past us while we were distracted," Kyoko swore.

Sayaka, following her gaze, quickly caught on. "That's where Madoka and the former Pope are!"

Mami's face was grim. "That distraction must have surely cost us most, if not all our time. We have to hurry!" She leaped upward.

The others followed suit, each praying that they would make it in time.

xxx

Homura didn't like her odds. Not one bit.

She grimaced as she missed another orb, forcing her to use her wings to block it. Their pure white feathers had long since been stained back by dark energies, becoming more and more fragile with every passing second. They would shatter before long, robbing her of her ability to use teleportation magic until they recovered. But that was fine because she didn't plan on moving anytime soon.

Madoka was still trapped in the circle behind her. Her friend was doing her best to break the seal, pounding on the barrier with a scrunched-up face to try and find the weak point, but she wouldn't bet on it happening anytime soon.

The devil (who had introduced himself as Diodora, right before sending orbs of demonic energy flying her way) had quickly noticed her attachment to Madoka and began exploiting it by deliberating throwing attacks in her friend's direction, forcing Homura to stand and deal with them or let them impact the barrier.

She didn't know what would happen if his attacks landed, but she wasn't going to take the risk. Not while she still had the energy to stand.

A figure blurred towards her, and she blindly lashed out with a spurt of holy fire. It let out a pained howl, before turning tail and retreating.

Homura panted heavily. Now, if she only had to worry about Diodora's ranged attacks, she could probably shoot them out of the air with her bow without much issue. Unfortunately, his three pieces weren't content to let them have a shootout in peace.

One of them had mutated into some sort of half-woman half-canine monster, with sharp fangs and crazed eyes. It tended to rush her, forcing her to take her eyes off the incoming demonic energy orbs to deal with it, but it always managed to escape before she landed a decisive blow on it.

And if that wasn't enough, another one had decided to go full force on the bat motif and turned into a giant, flying bat with a vaguely humanoid form attached between its wings. It, too, had decided that harassing her was to be its purpose in life, and its superior mobility allowed it to flank her easily, making it a much harder problem to deal with.

The last one was the only one that didn't try to attack her. Ironically, it was also the one that was stopping her from achieving victory.

It looked like a snail. Mostly. If snails had leathery, pitch-black shells and the upper half of a woman sticking out of it. It had planted itself next to Diodora, blocking any attempts Homura made at striking down its king. Dozens of scorch marks littered its shell, a testament to its ability to resist even her holy fire.

She knew that if they all attacked at once, they would be able to swiftly overwhelm her. But they didn't. Probably because their king was a sadistic bastard who got a kick out of drawing this out as long as possible. And while that gave her more time to think of a way out of this dilemma, she was sadly coming up short on solutions.

But even if there was no way out of this, she would hold on for as long as she could. For Madoka's sake, she would willingly lay down her life.

 _ **What are you willing to sacrifice, for the sake of your ambitions?**_

Oh, right. She had a talking Sacred Gear. Her fight with Kokabiel had been so long ago that she had nearly forgotten what had happened at the end, especially since the voice had not resurfaced until now.

Well, no time like the present.

 _My life._

 _ **You have already offered that. Choose another.**_

She was stumped. _What?_ How was she supposed to know what disembodied voices want as sacrifices?

 _ **If you do not choose an offering, then I will choose what to take.**_

 _And what would that be?_

 _ **For this, I will take your memories.**_

 _My memories?!_

 _ **Do not fret; I will not take**_ **all** _ **your memories; merely a select few.**_

Well, that didn't sound too bad. But . . .

 _Exactly which ones will you be taking?_

 _ **That is irrelevant. Now, what is your decision?**_

 _I accept._

It wasn't much of a choice, in the end. Madoka's safety was on the line, and she was willing to give up far more than just a few memories to keep her friend safe.

In her mind, the entity _purred_ , like it was some kind of giant, flaming cat. _**Then go forth, and lay waste to your adversaries with a flash of flame.**_

The furnace roared, greedily consuming the fuel she offered. The flames grew brighter, stronger; they became an overwhelming, all-engulfing inferno. And all at once, they exploded outwards, manifesting as a wave of energy that swept over her enemies.

She could see Diodora and his minions blink in confusion. Their expressions were blank; their postures loose, like they had forgotten what it is they were trying to accomplish.

"What's going on?" Diodora looked around in bemusement. "Where am I? I don't . . . wait . . . what?" He blinked, once, twice. ". . . Who am I . . . ?" He clutched his head, as if assailed by a raging headache. "My name. What is my name? Why can't I remember it?!"

His servants were in a similar state of confusion, their movements sluggish and without purpose. Homura had half-expected their monstrous instincts to be telling them to lash out, to destroy, but they were acting surprisingly docile.

The furnace stopped, its flames dying as the fuel that sustained it ran out. Even as its metal cooled, her own flames of anger still ran rampant.

She walked up to the target of her hatred, completely unopposed.

Diodora looked up as she approached, regarding her with some semblance of hope in his eyes. "You! Do you know me? Do you know my name?"

Homura paused. "I do."

He smiled. It was a smile that lacked malice, an innocent, genuine smile that could only be worn by those uncorrupted by the world. "Wonderful! Could you tell me, then?"

But in her eyes, this man was, and always would be, a sinner.

"You are . . ."

His eyes widened in expectation, hanging on to her every word with the utmost anticipation.

"Dead."

A flash of confusion that quickly morphed into horror.

 _Burn._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Engulfed in holy fire, the devil collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. His servants, driven by some lingering instinct to defend their king, moved closer to try to stop the attack.

But that simply caused them to get caught in the flames as well, adding their screams to the chorus of agony.

And in the end, there was only silence.

xxx

"Transfer student sure knows how to cut corners," Sayaka grumbled. "Do we really _all_ have to stick around to answer questions?"

Dulio smiled apologetically. "Sorry. This is just procedure."

"Tch. Shoulda just ran off with the other two when I had the chance," Kyoko muttered.

They had rushed back into the room where Madoka and the former Pope had been, only to find Homura leaping away with the former in tow and the latter sprawled on the ground several meters away from a few large piles of ashes.

After detaining the man, they had called specialists in from the Church to come and defuse the explosives the former Pope had planted. Dulio and Vasco had come as well to oversee the proceedings and to question him themselves.

However, the fallen priest had simply pointed them towards the safe in his office.

"Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones," the man had said humorlessly. "But I suspect your house is much sturdier than mine, Strada-san."

After that, he had remained stubbornly tight-lipped, right up until the moment when exorcists dragged him away to be confined until he could be judged for his crimes.

Vasco approached them, already looking much wearier than before after only one day of the papacy. "I am truly sorry that something like this happened. It was my fault for underestimating my predecessor's tenacity; I should have known that something was off."

Xenovia bowed her head respectfully. "The fault lies with us as well for underestimating our adversary. Please do not overly trouble yourself over this, Strada-sama."

"I agree," Mami said. "We let our guard down because we thought there was no danger: a novice mistake that we will not repeat."

"I see." The current Pope nodded. "At the very least, you all seemed to have gained something from this experience." He sighed. "And while I am loath to trouble any of your further, I must ask that you recount what has happened for me. Your initial summary of the situation was apt, but my men have noticed a number of details that seem to be unaccounted for."

They all hesitated, glancing at each other.

" _Should we tell him? About her?"_ Irina asked.

" _Strada-sama is a kind and compassionate man. I believe that he is trustworthy enough_ , _"_ Xenovia said.

" _He_ is _the Pope, now,"_ Mami said. _"He will likely learn of her existence sooner or later."_

" _Yeah. Besides, we just caught the bad guy, didn't we? It should be safe to tell him at least,"_ Sayaka added.

" _Do whatever ya want."_ Kyoko yawned. _"I'm beat."_

Decision made, Irina explained to Vasco everything that transpired, although leaving out certain details (such as their use of magic against the Strays and the exact identity of who stepped in at the end). The man was as unflappable as ever, only his slightly raised eyebrows indicating that he was surprised at all.

"A new goddess in Heaven? I had heard rumors of such, but it is a different matter to have it confirmed."

"Do you have any reservations about it?" Mami asked.

"A few, I'll admit." Vasco smiled. "But if Michael-san has deemed her worthy, then I shall be giving her the benefit of the doubt, at the very least."

"I'm cool with it as long as she doesn't make any stupid mistakes." Dulio slouched against the wall. "Whenever the higher-ups make a mess of things, I'm always the one that gets called in to clean it up. And that's just a pain." He sighed.

They all sweatdropped at the Strongest Exorcist's rather irresponsible attitude.

"It won't come to that," Sayaka said. "Hopefully."

"In any case, thank you all for your time." Vasco gave them a small bow. "I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors."

Dulio had left with the new Pope, and now it was just the five of them once again.

"What's wrong Pigtails? Ya look like you still got something eating away at ya."

Irina jumped in surprise. She had been constantly eyeing the three magic users ever since the incident's resolution, and Kyoko had figured that something was up.

"I – It's nothing." She laughed weakly.

"It's not nothing if it's been making you fidget all this time." Kyoko gave her a stern look. "Just spit it out already."

"W – Well . . ." Irina bounced from one foot to another. "When . . . when the former Pope said that you three weren't human . . . was he right?"

The three magical girls glanced at each other. This was a somewhat sensitive topic.

"I was wondering about it myself," Xenovia added. "Your response to him was rather vague. But I understand if none of you wish to speak of it."

"He wasn't right." Mami paused. "But he wasn't exactly wrong either."

"O – Oh, well . . ." Irina's pacing increased. "I – It doesn't really bother me! Even if you're not human, that doesn't make you any less human!" She flushed. "Wait, that didn't sound quite right . . ."

Sayaka laughed. "Nah, I think I get the gist of what you're saying." She clasped Irina on the shoulder. "Not sure if I should be telling you this, but we were human once, y'know." She smiled. "So, you saying that really means a lot to me."

Irina flushed but managed to smile in return.

"Well, now that we're all sunshine and rainbows . . ." Kyoko flicked a finger behind her. "What say we celebrate our successful mission? I'm _starving_."

"I have no objections," Xenovia said.

Both their stomachs rumbled simultaneously, as if in agreement.

The others laughed. "You never change, do you?" Sayaka said.

"Hey, don't say I didn't warn ya if ya starve to death!"

xxx

"You seem troubled."

Madoka turned to Homura with a weak smile. "It was that obvious, huh?"

They were standing in Heaven's throne room. Her friend had whisked her straight back here after the incident near the Vatican and had rebuked her for her "reckless actions," and that "if she ever did something so foolhardy again she would get Michael to lock her in the throne room for a month!"

Madoka thought Homura was cute when she got all worked up like that (she had told her as much, and the way she flushed and looked away had been adorable).

But despite all that, she was still a little gloomy. And it wasn't because someone had tried to kill her.

Homura came to stand next to her. Together, they stared out a window, its display that of a city far below them, lights twinkling in the distance like a thousand stars in the night sky.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

". . . It's a silly problem."

"There are no silly problems."

Madoka laughed quietly. "You sounded like my mom there."

Homura gave her a deadpan look. "I may as well be, considering how often I have to remind you to not do stupid things."

"It was a calculated risk!"

"Did you think about it beforehand?"

". . . Maybe?"

"Coming from you, that's a surefire no." Her friend sighed. "I don't think your math skills were good enough to do calculations without even thinking about them."

Madoka shifted. "That's why I would ask you for help." She turned towards Homura. "And I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for help once again."

"You know it's no trouble if it's for you."

The goddess paused. "Am I doing the right thing?"

Homura tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Did I make the right decision in coming here, to this world?"

"That is a question only you can answer."

Madoka smiled weakly. "Yes, I know." She sighed. "That doesn't make it any easier to answer though."

"Then allow me to walk you through it." Homura held up a finger. "Why do you think it might have been the wrong choice?"

The goddess's eyes drifted off into the distance, lost in the annals of time. "Sometimes, I wonder . . . am I doing more harm than good, being here? I came because I thought people needed help, but the people I'm helping never asked for my help. They never asked me to come here, to offer my aid to them. Am I simply an outsider, foisting her aid on those who do not wish for it?"

These doubts had always been in the back of her mind, but her confrontation with the former Pope had dragged them out into the light. His words had struck a chord within her: she made decisions because she believed they would make people happy. But what she _thought_ would make people happy and what would _actually_ make them happy may be two entirely different things.

The road to hell was paved with good intentions, after all.

Homura listened patiently to her entire spiel, nodding her head.

When she spoke, it was with a quiet, firm resolve.

"Has Michael-san ever gave any indication that he was dissatisfied with your leadership?"

She shook her head. "Not really, no. He's expressed some disapproval for a few of my decisions, but nothing more."

Her friend nodded. "That sounds reasonable. If an advisor always agreed with you, then he wouldn't be doing his job correctly, would he? And if he doesn't have any complaints, then doesn't that mean you've been doing fine?"

"Ah, well, it might just mean he's too polite to bring up any complaints he might have," Madoka protested.

Homura raised an eyebrow. "Does Michael-san seem like the kind of person who's afraid of speaking his mind?"

The goddess paused. She remembered how the archangel had voiced his concerns about the burden of despair she carried and the many other times he had taken the initiative to speak with her.

"No," she admitted.

"Then take comfort in knowing that the one who held your position before you believes you to be worthy. And besides . . ." Her voice softened. "Isn't it better to have help and not need it than to need help and not have it?"

". . . You're right." Madoka laughed gently. "You always seem to know what to say, Homura-chan."

"Just something I picked up over the centuries. I'm glad you're feeling better now." Homura turned away from the skyline and glanced at her. "But will you be alright?" she asked with a concerned look. "If you don't plan on revealing the truth, then you won't get as much faith, which would put much more strain on you."

"I'll be fine." Madoka smiled. "I've managed thus far with a limited supply. And if it's for the sake of others . . ."

xxx

"I know I can endure anything!"

Homura sighed inwardly at her friend's declaration. She adored Madoka's selfless nature for making her who she was, but at the same time, she hated it for what it did to those around her.

Her kindness was a beautiful, ephemeral thing. It dazzled everyone it passed like a shooting star, making them wonder if they had really seen it in the first place.

Her kindness was a cruel, relentless taskmaster. It forced her to solve a never-ending stream of problems for people she had never met, causing her to neglect her own wellbeing in the process.

And people like herself were the ones who suffered, the friends and family who watched the girl they cared about work herself to the bone for no compensation at all.

But she knew Madoka would say that the smiles were all the thanks she needed.

And she also knew that for her friend, that really was all she needed.

So long as it was for others, the strength of Madoka's spirit knew no bounds.

 _I know you can, Madoka._

A memory rose to the surface, of a girl facing down against an impossible opponent and defeating it against all odds.

 _Because that's just like you._

She tried to think back further, to the first time Madoka's heroism and kindness had first captivated her –

White, fuzzy static.

Homura blinked. That was strange. She was sure she could remember that. It was the reason why she spent all those years trapped in a time loop, after all.

She just needed to try harder –

A grey, blurry mass. It was like a barrier, one that she could not penetrate no matter how much she pounded against it.

Homura was panicking now. She was certain that memory should be there. The moment when her life changed, when she first met Madoka –

A black void. There was nothing. Everything before that point had simply vanished.

An inescapable feeling of dread crawled up her spine. Words that she had heard not so long ago rose to the forefront of her mind:

" _. . . I will take your memories."_

So, that was what her Gear decided to take. All her memories of before she made her wish and began her descent into a nigh-endless nightmare.

She couldn't remember her parents. But that was fine: they had never cared much for her in the first place, and the feeling was mutual.

She couldn't remember her childhood. Another acceptable loss: her heart disease had ensured she spent most of her time in a hospital.

She couldn't remember how she met Madoka. That was . . . disappointing. Unfortunate. But it was just a remnant of the past. If she could trade the useless dredges of the past to protect the future, then she would do it every time.

That is what she told herself.

"Homura-chan?"

She looked up. Madoka was staring at her, worry creasing her gentle face.

"Is something wrong?"

That beautiful, melodic voice. Even before her ascension to godhood, Homura had always thought that Madoka had a wonderful voice. That she could no longer recall the first time she heard it was no big deal.

"I'm . . . fine," Homura choked out. She turned away.

"Homura-chan?"

Ignoring Madoka's worried calls, she briskly walked away, leaving the smallest of glistening droplets falling in her wake.

xxx

"What a delightful, little thing."

Rizevim stared down at the golden cup he held. It was small, almost tiny in comparison to the lavish glasses he was used to. But that simply belied the sheer amount of power it contained.

"Using the power of creation to bring about destruction . . . how wonderfully ironic."

Not to mention, there was an _experiment_ that he was most eager to carry out. He knew that the Sephiroth Grail could revive the dead, but what if . . .

"If I poured the essence of life into an empty vessel, one designed to host a life but not alive itself . . . what would emerge, I wonder?"

It was a thought that had been stuck in the back of his head ever since he heard it from his information network. If things went as predicted, then he would be able to stir up quite a bit of chaos with his scheme; perhaps even shatter the peace between the factions that their leaders had wanted for so long. And with them back at each other's throats, he would be able to carry out the rest of his plan without interference.

"Lucifer-sama, it is done."

He looked up as Euclid approached. "Oh, are the brats here already?"

"Yes, they are. _He_ is present as well. Will we be . . . ?" He made a vague gesture.

Rizevim shook his head. "No, I don't care what my worthless grandson does anymore. And I am not in the mood to be playing around with _children_." He spun around. "I have far more interesting things to do. Send them the playmates we prepared."

Euclid bowed. "As you wish, Lucifer-sama."

But he had already stopped listening at that point, having withdrawn back into the world in his mind; a world of ruin where chaos and despair ran rampant.


	13. Tell your world to me

"You seem very tired, Madoka-sama."

Madoka snapped to attention, blinking rapidly with half-lidded eyes as she regained her bearings. She had been sitting in front of the Holy System, trying to divine its secrets once more. After many setbacks and a glimmer of progress, everything became hazy . . . .

She chuckled weakly. "I guess I am, Michael-kun." She yawned. "I was so busy trying to figure this out that I lost track of time."

She heard him step closer, pausing right behind her.

"Are you sure about this?"

She felt that this was a very common question from him. But she didn't mind; she was a bit of a worrywart herself. "About what?"

"Your decision regarding the revelation of God's death."

"Yes. I believe that it is for the best that the masses do not learn of it."

"I see." Michael's tone still held a trace of concern. "While I support your decision, I cannot help but worry for you. If you never announce yourself publicly, then you will never garner more faith."

"I care little for how much faith I receive; I am perfectly willing to continue masquerading as God, answering prayers and granting miracles in His name, if it will benefit the most people."

"I understand the sentiment of sacrificing the few for the sake of the many, but if the 'few' you are neglecting in this case is yourself, I fear for your own personal health. Will you truly be able to sustain yourself with the meager amount of faith you are receiving?"

Madoka smiled sadly. "I am no stranger to carrying such a heavy burden. In my previous position, only one person ever gave me their faith, yet I was able to carry out my duties anyway." Her eyes met his. "The faith I am receiving is plenty. You needn't worry about me."

". . . Very well then," Michael said. "On another note, the peace offering from the Devil faction has arrived. I believe Beelzebub-san referred to it as the 'Brave Saints' system?" He pulled out what looked like several decks of cards from his sleeve.

Madoka glanced at them curiously. "And these will allow us to reincarnate humans as angels?"

"Indeed. Beelzebub-san also apologized for taking so long to make these, but that was because he wished to make a special set for you."

She blinked. "A special set? For me?"

"Correct. The other Seraphs and I each have our own unique decks as well, but I believe yours is the most unique of them all."

He handed her a deck. As she looked through the cards, her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Um, they're blank?"

The cards she held were utterly devoid of anything. They were a pure white expanse, like blank sheets of paper, just waiting to be filled.

"They're supposed to be." Michael smiled softly in amusement at her befuddled expression. "Beelzebub-san said that you could inscribe your own power into them, allowing you to customize the effects of each one: wildcards, essentially. They are still meant to be given and used by someone, but exactly _what_ they will do for the user is entirely up to you."

She gazed down at the cards, her mind already racing with possibilities. One in particular seemed appropriate, runes of a language that was both known and unknown to her.

"I'll be sure to thank him later."

Michael nodded. "There is more news as well. Strada-san, despite his protests, has taken to his position as the new Pope quite well. With the immense respect and support he already commanded, the masses accepted him in no time."

"That's good. And what of the rest of the corruption within the Church?"

"It is being dealt with as we speak. The previous Pope left extremely thorough reports about the activities of quite a few sinful clergymen, which have greatly aided our investigation. I expect we will have rounded the rest of them up within the week."

Madoka let out a sigh that she didn't even know she had been holding. "Wonderful. It seems the mission was a resounding success, then."

He smiled gently. "Indeed, it was. I was skeptical at first, but it seems I was right to trust in your judgment in the end." His smile morphed into a frown. "However, the investigation has also turned up several rumors that are unrelated but concerning nonetheless."

More problems. Madoka probably should have expected that things wouldn't be tied up all that easily.

"And that would be . . . ?"

"There are many exorcists that are displeased with the current peace between the Three Factions. These are not righteous crusaders either, unsatisfied because they believe we should not be cooperating with such 'evil' creatures. No . . ." He closed his eyes as his tone grew more sorrowful. "These are the people who have lost something dear to them. Family, comrades, a loved one . . . the devils and fallen angels took something precious away from them, and they will never forgive them for it."

Madoka's own face saddened from the dour topic. "I won't say they are wrong to feel that way."

"Neither shall I. Regardless, if their concerns are not addressed, then I fear they may very well threaten the stability of the Church and the very peace we are trying to build."

She tilted her head in thought. "Give me some time. I will find a way that they can find peace. _Without_ any further bloodshed."

"I pray that you are successful in your endeavor." Michael bowed. "One last thing," he said as he straightened back up. "Now that we finally possess the Brave Saint System, I was wondering if you have any recommendations for initial recruits?"

Madoka smiled as she recalled the two brave exorcists that risked their lives in the most recent operation.

"I think I have a few ideas . . . ."

xxx

Madoka traced her finger over one of the wildcards, leaving blackened runes of an alien language in its wake.

She thought it ironic, that she was making use of the powers of the foes that she had spent so much of her life fighting. Once upon a time, she might have considered the very idea to be repulsive, but she had long since learned that things were not always so black-or-white.

Witches were not evil. They never were. Even when they killed, it was out of instinct rather than any malicious intent. You may as well fault a hawk for hunting, or a fish for swimming.

And in the end, witches were simply another part of people. They were the worst aspects of a person: the parts that envied, raged, and lusted. The proverbial "devil" that everyone possessed.

Such dark feelings were an inevitable part of human nature. The only difference was whether someone allowed _it_ to control _them_ or vice versa.

And as the goddess harboring the despair of mankind since its inception, she had gotten _very_ good at controlling it.

Her hand paused, lifting away from the now filled card. She wrung her hand, as if flicking ink off her fingers.

It looked like a mermaid. A mermaid wearing a crown of swords, a short, blue cape, and a suit of armor.

Its runic name was inscribed next to it.

 _ **OKTAVIA.**_

She placed it into the pile with the other two she had already finished. There _would_ be one more, but it was not time yet.

She stood up, brushing off the hem of her dress.

Hopefully, there wouldn't be any major misunderstandings (this time) when she gave these to her friends.

And while she was at it, she should probably make some calls as well.

"I wonder if Leviathan-san is free right now."

xxx

He swung his sword with as much force as he could muster, smashing the training dummy clean off its pole and into the wall.

"Woohoo, Cristaldi-sensei! Way to get them!"

Ewald glanced at his pupil, who was cheering him on from the other side of the room. "Don't you have your own practice to be doing? If you continue to slack off, I will increase the number of reps you'll be doing to one hundred."

His student froze. "Ehehehe, no need to be so harsh, sensei! I just stopped by because I was told to deliver a message to you."

He frowned. Although he was the third highest ranking official in the Church, most of the paperwork went to the Pope and the Cardinal Priest (although, since Vasco was recently promoted, this position was currently vacant). Which he was fine with since that gave him more time to train his exorcist abilities. But that also meant that it was unusual for someone to seek him out instead of the previously mentioned two (unless it was to request training from him, in which case he would be happy to smack them around a bit).

But for something like that, he imagined the prospective student would come in person.

"And what would that be?"

"Well, now that we are officially at peace with the other factions, the higher-ups hired on a grief counselor to help all the people who lost someone to the fighting. And you've already been scheduled for the first appointment since, well, you know . . . ."

Ewald knew very well what his student was referring to. He had been the teacher of many of the Church's exorcists, watching them turn from fledging cadets into mature warriors with a smile like that of a proud parent.

Watching them fall in battle one-by-one was heartrending, to say the least. It was always difficult when the news came, that yet another one of his proteges did not come back from a mission.

How many had it been by now? He had carved each of their names into his heart as a reminder; that he had not been good enough, had not adequately prepared his students for the harsh war that had gone on for so long.

It was also why he found the current peace to be so off-putting. After all the lives the devils and fallen angels had stolen from them, they were just going to put aside their grievances and join hands? As if nothing had happened, that all this blood had not been spilled?

If that were to happen, then would his students have died for nothing? Died fighting in a war that didn't even reach a conclusion, in the end?

It was why he spent so much of his time in the training room. He was preparing for the day the war resumed (it had to, it just _had_ to), and because it helped clear his head, helped keep the doubts and demons that plagued his mind at bay.

But if the Church had hired a _counselor_ for them, then they really were serious, weren't they? About this peace.

He could already feel his dearly departed students rolling in their graves.

"I'm not going. Tell them to cancel it."

"Ehehehe . . ." His student chuckled nervously. "See, they knew that you would say that. Which is why they decided to make it an order."

He frowned. If it was an order, then it seemed that he would not be getting out of it. As a fervent supporter of the Church's structure and hierarchy, his own moral code would not allow it.

"Very well, then. I shall attend the appointment."

"Cool! It's, uh, I wrote this down somewhere!"

Ewald rolled his eyes as his student scrambled around before finally finding the paper he had written the date and time on.

"Great, that should be everything. I'll see you later, Sensei!"

He returned the wave as his pupil ran off into the distance, likely to get himself in trouble somewhere else. But he didn't really mind his youthful antics: they were strangely nostalgic, in a way.

Speaking of which . . .

He glanced down at the paper scrap he had been handed. The appointment was only a few hours from now.

"What a waste of time."

Turning back, he held up his sword once more.

He could get in a bit more training beforehand.

xxx

Sona hummed quietly to herself as she worked.

She was sitting in the Student Council room. This time, however, she was alone. Finding herself craving some peace and quiet recently, she had given her peerage the day off to relax and do whatever it was that they did for recreation.

It was just another typical day as Student Council President. Filling out forms, managing budgets, disciplining troublemakers . . . it was all a welcome reprieve after going to the Young Devil's Gathering (getting ridiculed in the process), dealing with the Hero faction, and then hunting down Stray Magicians.

With so many events transpiring all at once, she found that she missed the tedium of an ordinary day: no villains to fight, no hostages to rescue, no musclebound idiots to beat up . . . it was all very peaceful and quiet.

A knock on the door.

"It's open," she called out.

Tsubaki walked in. "There's a letter for you. It's from your sister."

Sona's pen stopped. Dread began settling at the bottom of her stomach, slowly piling its way up.

No. No, no, no. This was going to be the perfect day of relaxation (as relaxing as it could get for a workaholic like her), and she was _not_ going to let her sister ruin it.

"Put it down right there. I'll look at it later."

Her Queen did as she asked, then bowed. "I'll leave you to it then."

Engulfed in silence once more, Sona renewed her work with vigor, doing her best to ignore the letter sitting innocuously on her desk.

 _I will not look at it. I will not look at it. I will not look at it._

Scribble. Turn page. Scribble. Turn page. Scribble. Turn page.

As she tossed another form into her "finished" pile, a flash of a sharp corner caught her attention, drawing her gaze to the letter once more.

She growled, then shoved it behind a pile of paperwork so she didn't have to look at it.

And then, all too soon, she found her desk barren, save for the pile of completed forms sitting in her "done" box.

And the letter. She felt like it was glaring at her, offended that she had ignored it for so long.

She wouldn't be surprised if her sister had put a charm on it to make her feel that way.

Sigh. For once, she wished that she had _more_ work, so she could put off looking at the letter longer.

Well, no more excuses.

She opened the latter. After reading the contents, her eyebrows shot up. "Wha – ?!"

A magic circle flashed to life in front of her. Out of it stepped her sister, who flashed her a big smile.

"That's right, So-tan!"

Serafall winked at her.

"You're going to Heaven!"

xxx

Ewald knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

A cheery, youthful voice bade him come in. Stepping into the room, he glanced around briefly before zoning in on the young woman who sat behind the desk.

Her startling golden eyes met his own. "Please, take a seat. Would you like any refreshments? I have tea if you'd like, but I'm afraid my brewing skills can't quite compare to that of some people I know."

"Just water is fine."

"Okay, then!"

He sat down in front of her in an almost trance-like state. There was just something surreal about the situation, as if it weren't quite real, like he was meeting a spirit instead of an actual person.

"You're the counselor I was supposed to meet with?" he asked.

She nodded. "That's right! You can call me Madoka." A smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cristaldi-san."

He nodded absentmindedly. "Likewise."

Although he was against the purpose of this meeting, he would, at the very least, be courteous to this woman who was taking time out of her day to speak with him.

"You are aware of the purpose of this arrangement, yes?"

"To help us come to terms with our losses," he recited monotonously.

"That's correct! Now, I won't force you to do anything you don't want to. If you don't feel comfortable talking about it, I understand. Just know that I'm here to lend an ear if you need it."

He could tell that she was sincere. She would respect his bounds; in fact, if he walked out of that room right now, he had a feeling that she wouldn't stop him.

But that would be quite rude of him. So, he supposed that he could at least stay and talk a little. But . . .

"What's there to say?" He laughed humorlessly. "I failed in my duties. I was supposed to prepare them for war. For the fighting, violence, and bloodshed." He sighed. "But in the end, they just became more victims."

"You blame yourself for their deaths." It was not a question.

"A teacher is meant to prepare their students for what is to come. If the pupil fails, then it is the fault of the instructor. And _they_ were the ones to pay the price for my failing . . . not me."

She was quiet, simply sitting there and listening as he ranted about his feelings of inadequacy. It was something that he had bottled up for a long time, a weakness that he could not afford to show. Because he was a teacher, a role model; with so many eyes on him, he could not afford to falter.

But here, in this private, quiet room, with this kind, gentle woman . . . he felt like he could let it all out. That there was no need to keep up an act here, that he could let his true feelings show without being judged.

He fell silent, finished with his monologue. She nodded slowly, having absorbed everything he said.

"And what of the devils and fallen angels, the foes you once fought so fervently against? What do you think about them?"

"Them?" He laughed scornfully. "They are evil beings, parasites and predators that feed off humanity. We would be better off without their ilk."

". . . I see." Her voice was carefully neutral. "Let us switch to a less dreary topic." She paused. "Tell me about your students."

He blinked. It felt like a strange request, but he supposed he could indulge her. "Which ones? I have had many throughout the ages."

She waved a hand. "Any of them. Your favorites, perhaps. The ones that left the deepest impressions on you."

"My favorite students . . ." He delved into his mind, revisiting memories of a bygone age: an age when he was not so weighed down by sorrow, when he heard the laughter of children playing every day.

". . . There was a girl." Memories of ash-blonde hair and green eyes ran through his head. "She was the weakest of the group that year. She had trouble simply lifting a sword." He gave an amused smile as he recalled her valiant efforts to pick up a sword, only to drop it again. "But what she lacked in body, she more than made up for in spirit. On the first day, when all the other new recruits had long since gone to bed, she was still outside, trying to pick up that sword."

"And when we went outside the next day, the first thing we saw was her, standing on the training ground, proudly holding a sword in her hands. Right before she collapsed of exhaustion." A chuckle. "I had to pry that sword out of her hands, such was her grip on it."

Madoka smiled softly. "She sounds like a most wonderful student. I doubt many could match her sheer will."

"Of that, I have no doubt. She soaked up my lessons like a sponge. By the time they graduated, she was at the top of her class. And after . . . ."

He paused. He could still remember her grisly demise: hair soaked with blood, and a face twisted in horror . . . .

As if sensing his dark thoughts, Madoka spoke up. "Is there anyone else?"

The nightmare receded, as if banished by the sound of that soothing voice.

". . . There was a boy." Memories of fiery-red hair and amber eyes flashed through his mind. "He was a natural with swords. And he had one of the strongest compatibilities with Holy Swords that I had ever seen. But that earned him the ire of his classmates, and a child's envy could be an ugly thing indeed." He grimaced as he recalled several of the more troublesome incidents that had occurred. "But despite being scorned for so long, he never once fought back. He would just stand there and smile, forgiving all sins against him."

"It sounds like he had the patience of a saint."

He chuckled dryly. "He might have very well been one in the making." A pause. "Despite everything, he would always try to help those around him. A tip here, a helping hand there . . . he soon became one of the most well-liked students. And eventually, even those who once scorned him forgot the reason for their hate in the face of his infinite kindness."

However, that kindness would cost him. Ewald could still remember that fateful day, as fresh-faced graduates ran with tearful eyes back to the base, screaming that they had to go help him, that he had stayed behind to buy them time to escape, that if they hurried they could make it in time –

But when they arrived at the scene, the only things left were ashes and charred bones.

A single, glistening tear dropped to the desk. He immediately clamped down on his emotions, forcing his pain and grief to the back of his mind once again.

She did not comment on his momentary lapse in composure, for which he was grateful. It was easier to keep up a mask if no one commented on how fragile it looked.

He kept talking. He spoke of the students that frustrated him, the students that amused him, the students that surprised him . . . there were so many. And he remembered them so vividly.

When he finally ran out of stories to share, he felt drained. Empty. But it felt cathartic, in a way. Like something that had been weighing him down all this time was finally gone.

"They sound like they were all wonderful people," Madoka said softly.

"Yes." He felt numb. "They were."

She nodded as she scribbled something down. "Have you done any community service recently?"

He blinked. That topic seemed like it came out of the blue. "No . . . not recently."

There hadn't been much time to do so, with the war going on. He had been utterly focused on training: both for himself, and for those under his tutelage.

"I think it would be good for you if you did some." She looked up. "Knowing that you helped someone, somewhere . . . it gives you something to be proud of. Something to help you keep going."

Well, he _had_ been neglecting his service duty as of late. And with the war over, he supposed he had no more excuses to continue putting it off.

And if it helped even a little, then he would be grateful.

". . . I would like that."

She smiled. "Great! There's a church here on the outskirts that could use some help . . . ."

xxx

Madoka sat back in her chair and let out a tired sigh as she watched Ewald leave.

Michael had not been a big fan of her idea. And she didn't blame him – anyone would think that coming down here to give counseling sessions to every grieving exorcist was far too taxing on what little faith she had.

But she wasn't a normal goddess. She had operated on a _far_ larger scale with _far_ less faith to work with back in her old world. And even if the rules of this world were different and made her more dependent on the belief of others, she didn't need nearly as much faith as a normal deity to survive.

It was in her nature to be a nameless, faceless deity. The helping hand behind the curtain, the guardian angel that watched over her charges from afar. Someone who was always there, always helping, but never recognized.

She would have to spend more time resting afterward, but it would all be worth it. This was something only she could do.

After all, she had proclaimed herself to be their guardian, didn't she? Their parental figure, their mentor, their guiding light. The man she had just talked to had been lost in his grief, but as he recounted past tales, she had seen past his darkness, seen the gentle, caring man he had used to be.

And it was her duty to pull him back from the brink, to pull _all of them_ back from the darkness that threatened them from within.

In short, it was her duty to give them hope again.

She took a sip from the mug on her desk, wincing slightly at the strong taste. It was coffee: a drink that she had never had the chance to taste in her past life. Supposedly, it would help energize her and keep her awake.

And she was going to need all the energy she could get to power through the rest of these appointments. And if these weren't enough, well, that was why she brought in a little insurance. A somewhat risky form of insurance, but if it turned out well, it would accomplish far more than what she could do here.

And in any case, her next guest should be arriving any moment now . . . .

A knock on the door.

"Come in!"

xxx

"This isn't Heaven."

Serafall looked sheepish as Sona stated the blatantly obvious. The large oaken doors before them were clearly the gateway into a church.

"Well, it wouldn't have sounded as cool if I said 'church,' y'know?"

Sona rolled her eyes. "Deliberate misnomer aside, you _are_ also aware that simply stepping into a church is enough to inflict immeasurable pain on us?"

"Fret not, dear So-tan! I would never subject you to such cruel torture!"

Ignoring Sona's mutters about how her very existence constituted as torture at times (What a mean thing to say, So-tan!), Serafall pulled several amulets out of a bag.

She held them out, catching the attention of both Sona and her peerage.

"What's that?" Tsubaki asked.

"Since our dear goddess hasn't quite gotten around to fulfilling the second half of her promise yet, she's decided to make these for us instead." She shook them, causing them to jingle. "They're amulets that remove a devil's weakness to the Holy element! Neat, huh?"

Eyes widened as the implication of the existence of such items sunk in.

"W – wait, they remove our weakness to holy stuff?" Saji asked. "Isn't that like, overpowered?"

"Goddess? Are you referring to Madoka-sama, who we saw back at the peace conference?" Tsubasa said.

"And what's this promise about? We didn't hear anything about that!" Ruruko said.

"Oh, no!" Serafall gave an exaggerated swoon. "My tongue must have slipped. I suppose I might as well tell you all the rest now."

Sona sighed. "Onee-sama, you don't have to make up an excuse to tell us something . . ."

"But it's more fun that way! Besides, if I make it sound like an accident, that'll give me plausible deniability!"

Sona was pretty sure that no one would buy that if they ever heard a recording of this conversation, but she was also sure that her sister didn't care.

Serafall proceeded to give them a basic rundown of the behind-the-scenes events that happened at the peace conference (after swearing them to secrecy, of course).

"And that's about the gist of it! Any questions?" She gave them all an expectant look.

Several of them seemed a bit overwhelmed by what they had just been told, but the one question burning in the back of all their minds was –

"Um, what exactly did we come here to do?" Reya asked as she timidly raised a hand.

"Judging by the presence of those amulets, I'm guessing we're going inside the church." Momo rubbed her chin. "But for what purpose, I wonder?"

"Yeah! We're not going inside to pray, are we? That'd be kind of stupid," Tomoe added.

Sona herself did not yet know what their purpose in coming here was. Normally, she would have stubbornly refused to go along with Serafall's antics; however, over the years, she had learned to spot when her sister was being serious.

And despite Serafall's current playful attitude, Sona could tell this was a very serious matter indeed.

"I'm glad you asked! You're all here to do . . ." Serafall twirled around, spinning her arms around for dramatic effect.

"Volunteer work!"

The silence that ensued was deafening.

"Come again . . . ?" Tsubasa's skepticism was plain to see.

"Hmm? I'm pretty sure I didn't stutter, did I?"

"But . . . volunteer work?!" Saji spluttered. "Why did we have to come all the way out here to do volunteer work at a church of all places?!"

Tsubaki furrowed her brows. "I imagine there's a deeper meaning behind our presence here."

Serafall merely smiled in response.

Sona spoke up. "Is this supposed to be a mission of some sorts? To cultivate relations between the Underworld and Heaven?"

"Mmmm, it _is_ to help patch things up with Heaven, yes." She tapped her chin in thought. "But treating this as a mission would defeat the point of the mission . . . ."

That . . . Sona wasn't sure what to make of that statement, but it was obvious that there were far more things at play behind the scenes.

"Why us, anyway?" Ruruko asked. "Couldn't you have gotten some other group of devils to handle this?"

"Now, now," Serafall wagged a finger. "This is a very important task! I can't just give it to anyone. Besides, compared to most other devils, you are all very uniquely qualified for the job!"

Sona had the general idea of what her sister was getting at. As students at a (mostly) human academy, they had more experience blending into normal society than many other devils. As members of said school's Student Council, they spent much of their time in service to the school and its student body.

Volunteer work was simply service to the community. Not much different from what they had to do on a daily basis.

And if this task really was as important as she felt it was, there was no way she was going to run away from it.

Even if the rest of her peerage seemed none too pleased at the prospect.

"Is there anything else we should know before we get started?"

Saji looked at her with a betrayed expression. "K – Kaichou! Are you really going to go through with this?!"

She gave her pawn a flat look. "Yes, I am. Leviathan-san has entrusted us with an important task, and we will carry it out to the best of our abilities."

Seeing her resolute gaze, he reluctantly backed down (meanwhile in the background, Serafall was moaning about her sister being so cold as to refer to her by her title).

"Onee-sama, get it together," she snapped.

Serafall immediately brightened up at the more familiar form of address. "Yes, yes. Anything for my dear So-tan~" She thrust the bundle of amulets out towards them. "Now, it should go without saying, but keep these on at all times! While you're here, you'll be acting as students, not devils, so it would be bad if one of you suddenly collapsed inside the church!"

Tsubaki frowned. "Wasn't this supposed to help relationships with Heaven? Why the need for secrecy?"

"It's all part of the grand plan. Don't worry your pretty little heads about it!"

Sona and the rest of her peerage each took an amulet and put it on. The design was simple: a star nestled inside the crook of a crescent moon, brought together by an artisan's craftsmanship.

Quite the appropriate symbol, given the nature of their mission.

"And one last thing –" Serafall rummaged inside her pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Now, this mission should be as low-risk as it gets, but in case anything bad does happen . . ." She thrust the summoning circle into Sona's hands. "Just give that a tap, and I'll be over in a jiffy!"

Staring down at the paper in her hand, Sona resolved to never use it. This day alone was enough to fill up her "Serafall tolerance meter" for the next few months, possibly the next year as well.

"Well, I'll be off now! Take care, So-tan!"

Serafall hopped, skipped, and a jump later she was gone, vanishing in a flash of magic.

Sona turned back to those large wooden doors that once represented the threshold of the territory of one of their greatest enemies.

"If you have any objections, please voice them now."

Silence. Her peerage's expressions were tentative, hesitant; but there was a hint of resolve in each of them, fueled by the knowledge that they were contributing to the peace between the factions, even if it was only just a little.

"Then let us begin."

She pushed open the doors.

xxx

"Could you hand me that box, Shitori-san?"

Sona lifted the box, awkwardly heaved it over the table, then set it back down.

"Thank you."

"No problem, Cristaldi-san."

She watched as the exorcist turned away, packing food into the box she had just given him. They were working as part of a food drive, packaging the food into various containers before they were shipped. Different products had different destinations, so they had to sort the food beforehand to ensure that everything went into properly labeled containers.

It wasn't particularly difficult – managing the budgets for Kuoh Academy's various clubs and events involved far more work, and her peerage was disciplined enough that she did not have to be constantly giving them directions to perform their duties adequately.

"S – Saji-kun! A – are you really sure you should be carrying so many boxes at once?!"

"N – No worries! I got this!"

She heard something tumble and begin to fall . . . .

"You need to be more careful, Genshirou-san," her Queen coolly said.

"R – Right, Shinra-senpai! Sorry for making you catch that!"

Well, most of the time. She supposed she was going to have to lecture Saji for being too reckless again.

"You shouldn't be too hard on him."

Sona glanced at the man next to her. She hadn't thought that she would be brushing shoulders with a renowned exorcist, especially not one who was also a high-ranking member of the Church.

It felt a bit strange. To be standing next to each other while doing a mundane activity and making small talk in the process.

But if the peace between their factions lasted, then scenes like these wouldn't feel so unusual anymore.

Then again, he didn't know about their _true_ nature, so this wasn't an entirely honest moment of cooperation.

"What do you mean?"

He smiled. "You are their leader, are you not? I've seen the way they look at you; whenever they hesitate, they look to you for guidance."

She shouldn't be surprised that he had caught on. Her peerage wasn't exactly the subtlest of people.

"As their leader, it is all the more important for me to reprimand them for their mistakes," she said.

"I do not believe that it was a mistake so much as a calculated risk."

She frowned. "A calculated risk?"

"Indeed. I believe he was trying to impress someone."

"Who could he possibly be trying to impress?"

He chuckled. "You would know better than me."

". . . Oh." She sighed. It would be best if she had a little talk with her Pawn about his infatuation for her before it caused him to pull any more crazy stunts.

"You are very observant, Cristaldi-san," she complimented.

"Not at all. I simply have much experience dealing with children."

"In what manner?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I was a teacher."

"Truly? What did you teach your students?"

His eyes clouded over, their glint vanishing beneath a murky haze.

". . . I taught them how to survive. It is a cruel world that we live in," he said softly.

Sona was silent. The answer was suitably vague enough that a normal person (most likely what he thought of her as) would think that he was referring to life skills such as cooking, self-defense, perhaps even street-smarts.

But she was a devil. And he was an exorcist. And if he was a teacher, there was only one thing he could have been teaching.

. . . It was hard. To reconcile this kindly, gentle man next to her with a cold-blooded killing machine who slew so many of her kind without remorse and taught others how to do the same.

But this was a challenge that each of them had to face. Everyone, on both sides. And if this peace was to last, then each of them would need to overcome it, to conquer it with such force that there was no room left for doubt or suspicion.

She was determined to see it through. And she would help as many others along the way as she could.

"I remember giving these out to them. As rewards."

She turned to see him glancing at a jar of sweets. He was softly smiling at it, nostalgia written all over his face. Yet, there was a lingering shade of sadness, a veil of sorrow that could only mean one thing.

What would he have been, she wondered, in a world without these divisions? A world where he did not need to kill, did not need to teach others to kill, did not need to watch those he cherished be killed in return.

"I'm sure they loved you for it."

"Yes . . ." He set it down softly. "They did."

They continued working in silence afterward, both engulfed in their own thoughts.

xxx

Ewald carefully tucked the seeds he held into the small hole he had dug for them. After ensuring that each one was properly nestled, he scooped soil back over it, then patted it down to ensure it was firm.

He stood up, wiping off his brow and glancing around.

There were some new faces this time around. He vaguely recognized several of the exorcists toiling in the church's garden – no doubt they had been recommended by that counselor to come volunteer here as well.

Most of them only came for a few volunteering sessions before leaving. Several came around for a while longer, but they, too, eventually had their fill of this labor.

He had come to all of them. Every single volunteering event, he was there. It was the least he could do, after neglecting his service duty for so long.

The only other constants were those students he had met at the beginning. They were always there, doing whatever needed to be done: carrying cargo, serving food, or cleaning up, they had done it all.

He was impressed by their dedication. He doubted that even the most charitable believers would spend so much time aiding others.

"Gah, why won't this weed come out?!"

"Maybe you should try pulling harder?"

"I'm pulling as hard as I can! Ugh, if only Bennia-san was here . . . ."

"I don't think this is what you would use a scythe for . . . ."

Dusting himself off, he approached the two students. He had learned all their names during their first meeting – a useful skill he had picked up during his years of teaching.

"If you intend to weed, then you will need more than just brute force, Genshirou-san."

Saji looked startled by his appearance. "O – Oh, Cristaldi-san!"

Ewald crouched down and pulled out a small knife. "Please, stand back."

As soon as the boy had backed away, he immediately went to work, deftly working his knife through the soil to dig up the entire plant. As he probed, he observed the weed as he extracted it bit-by-bit, using its shape to deduce where its other roots might be.

Finally, he stood up in triumph, holding the entire plant out in front of him.

"W – Wow! That was so cool!" Ruruko said.

"Yeah! I can't believe you got it out so fast!"

He shook his head humbly. "I was merely lucky with my predictions. That is all." He turned to Saji. "If you intend to continue weeding, a tool might serve you well. Here." He held out his knife. "Take it."

The boy was surprised. "A – Are you sure? It looks kind of fancy . . . ."

Indeed, the tool had a most elaborate design. The handle was wood, but carved into it was the image of a massive oak tree, standing tall and proud with its boughs held high. Next to it were smaller saplings, still in the early stages of growth, but they held themselves with a certain degree of dignity as well.

Ewald smiled sadly. "It was given to me a long time ago by a student of mine. I think she would have liked it for another student like you to have it."

Saji took the knife, cradling it in his hands.

Ruruko looked at him curiously, her interest piqued. "A student of yours?"

"Yes." He smiled fondly as memories of an ashen-blonde girl flooded him. "She was an avid gardener. She spent all her free time tending to the garden she started behind the . . . school." He paused. "I was displeased, at first, when I found out. It seemed like such a trivial pastime. But she just seemed so earnest, so sincere about it, that I couldn't tell her to stop."

He balled up the plant he held in his hands. "She was the one who taught me how to weed. And . . ." A dirt-stained face that smiled proudly as she held out the bouquet of flowers she had grown for his birthday. "She was the one who taught me how to live," he said softly.

The two students were standing there in silence, seemingly dumbfounded by the thick emotion that had clogged his voice near the end.

"She definitely sounds like someone special alright," Saji said.

Ewald nodded slowly. "That she was."

"Where is she now?" Ruruko asked.

"She's dead."

"Oh!" Ruruko looked stricken. "I – I'm sorry! I – I didn't know –"

He shook his head. "It is not your fault. Her death is on my hands." He stared at his dirt-covered hands, and for the briefest moment, it looked as if his hands were covered in blood instead –

"Don't say that!"

He looked at Saji, surprised. "Why . . . do you say that?"

The boy sliced his arm through the air. "Because if the two of you really cared about each other so much, she wouldn't want you to blame yourself for her death!"

"How . . . how can you be so sure?"

Saji jabbed a hand at the knife, gesturing at the design on the handle. "Just look at it. Can't you see?"

Ewald glanced at it, still unsure as to what the boy was trying to say.

"The roots . . ." Saji said softly. "They're entangled."

Eyes wide, he noticed that the boy was indeed correct. The roots of the oak tree intertwined with those of the saplings.

But it did not look like a destructive form of contact. No, it looked like it was more . . . loving. Tender. Supportive.

Like the oak tree was helping the saplings grow.

"She was a gardener, right?" Saji continued. "I think when she gave this to you, she wanted you to grow. To become stronger, so that you would be better equipped to help others." He smiled sadly. "I think she would be quite sad if she saw you stagnate, don't you think? And all because of her, too . . . ."

Ewald stared at him, incredulous. He had never thought of the gift that way. He had merely considered it to be a sentimental gesture, but looking back on it now . . . .

Despite being a teacher, he still had a lot to learn, didn't he? And it seemed like they didn't have to be students of his to be able to teach him a thing or two.

". . . Thank you," he said. "I – I think I needed to hear that."

Saji rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Hehehe, I might have gone a bit overboard there."

"No. You were right." He bowed. "Take pride in your accomplishment."

Ruruko, meanwhile, was staring at Saji with stars in her eyes. "Wow! That was such a cool speech, Saji-kun! Where did you learn to do that?!"

"Ehehehe . . ." If possible, Saji looked even more sheepish than before. "I was brushing up on some books, and I read something similar. I thought it would help here."

"But you don't like reading."

"Well, I was trying to impress Kaichou –" Saji's voice faltered as he noticed that Ruruko was beginning to look increasingly displeased.

Ewald quickly stepped away before the fireworks started.

Although he usually didn't mind mediating between children, _this_ was one thing he was _not_ going to get involved in.

xxx

Ewald set down the heavy box he was holding with a grunt.

Besides him, Saji set down his own box with a pained expression. "Phew! Is that all of them? Because I don't think I can carry any more of these."

He chuckled. "I believe so, Genshirou-san."

The volunteers had been tasked with cleaning up the church today, putting unused items and old tools into boxes for storage in the shed. They had then helped to carry them into the shed itself, people coming and going like a relay.

Ewald and Saji had ended up with the last two boxes. Now that they were finished, it was time to get back to where the others were waiting for them.

"Awesome! I could really use a nice, long nap after this."

"After all the hard work you've done, I'd say that's the least you deserved."

As Saji began to turn around, he suddenly frowned. Patting himself down, he searched frantically all over his person.

Ewald glanced at him. "Is something the matter?"

"I – I can't find the knife you gave me!"

The exorcist looked at the boxes they had just carried in. "Did you drop it? In one of the boxes, perhaps?"

Saji's face lit up. "Wait. I think I remember accidentally putting it in along with some other junk in that one box."

He rushed over and dived into a box, combing through the items inside with gusto.

"I found it!"

He turned, holding the knife up proudly. But unbeknownst to him, the amulet he wore had snagged on one of the sticks poking out of the box, and as he stood up, the cord stretched taught . . .

And snapped.

"Thanks for the tip, Crist –"

The boy collapsed to the floor.

"Genshirou-san!" Ewald rushed over.

Saji was writhing in pain on the floor, clutching his head. There was no discernible cause for his distress – no wound, no sign . . . nothing.

 _No! There must be something, anything!_

He strained his eyes further, taking in every single detail. And out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that one of the boy's hands had strayed from his head, inching closer and closer to . . . the amulet?

With no other leads, Ewald quickly grasped it and placed it in Saji's hand.

The fits ceased. The boy was lying still, chest still heaving from that arduous ordeal.

"Are you alright, Genshirou-san?"

"Y – Yeah . . ." He stood up shakily and flashed him a weak smile. "I – I get fits, sometimes. Sorry you had to see that."

"I am much more concerned about you than myself." Ewald frowned, his face lined with concern. "Do you need any help?"

"No! I'm fine. Really."

Snatching up the knife he had dropped, Saji gave him a quick bow before turning and hurrying away.

Ewald watched as the boy's back faded into the distance, troubled by what he had seen. That his fit had ceased the moment the amulet was back in his hands was no coincidence, of that he was sure.

"Spirit possession, perhaps?"

But, he recalled all the other students in his cohort wearing amulets too. And while he was not as learned in the particulars of spirits as some of his peers, he knew enough that such a large outbreak of spirit possession was astonishingly rare. And even if one occurred, it would be resolved with the utmost urgency.

So, what other explanation was there? What other supernatural phenomena would cause someone to collapse in agony while within the bounds of a church?

No . . . it couldn't be. There was no way. No way that the kind, hard-working students he had met, who laughed and played and smiled like so many of the students he used to teach could be . . . such creatures.

There was no way.


	14. I wanna know

Ewald began to notice things. Small things, that he would normally have dismissed as coincidence. But with that incident fresh in his mind, he couldn't so easily dismiss them as such.

Like the way the other students looked at Sona like she was their leader . . . or like she was their _King_.

Or how they instinctively avoided patches of sunlight, stepping around them like it was second-nature to them.

But the most damning . . . was how they could handle burdens that would make a normal human struggle, yet they were able to handle with ease.

With all that in mind, he couldn't ignore his conclusion any longer.

They were devils. Here, under the roof of this church.

He didn't know why they were here. He didn't know _how_ they could be here without suffering immense pain, but he suspected the amulets they wore had something to do with that.

His exorcist instincts were screaming at him to draw his blade, to spill the blood of these evil creatures before they could put whatever nefarious plan they no doubt had in action.

But then he would remember how they laughed, how they smiled, how they played around like so many of the students he had taught.

Striking them down . . . would be too much like striking _them_ down, those ash-blonde and red-haired phantoms that he still saw when he closed his eyes at night.

So, his sword would remain sheathed. For now. As long as they did no harm, he would turn a blind eye to their true nature. But if they ever did . . .

He hoped it would never have to come to that.

"Ah, Cristaldi-san! Your finger!"

"Hmm?"

Glancing down, he noticed he had accidentally cut himself with the knife he had been chopping vegetables with.

How careless of him. Allowing his mind to wander while performing such a delicate task was a novice mistake.

"Bandages? Bandages, bandages, bandages, where are the bandages?!" Tomoe began combing through the cabinets at breakneck speed.

"You needn't concern yourself with such a trivial wound, Meguri-san," he said to try and stop her well-mannered rampage.

But it was all for naught, as the girl turned around with a roll of gauze in her hand and a gleam in her eyes.

"Now, hold still! This will only take a moment."

Sighing in resignation when it was clear that he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it, he waited patiently as she cleaned and dressed his wound.

"There! All done!" She straightened up with a smile.

He looked at his hand, now adorned with a neatly wrapped bandage. ". . . Why did you go through all this trouble? I could have taken care of it myself."

"Oh, well . . ." She blushed. "My parents taught me that I should always help others when I can. Because, you never know when you might someone else's help, y'know?"

"I see." He nodded. "That is a good way to live."

She smiled. "Thanks!" Her eyes widened. "Oh, I should get back to work, shouldn't I? I don't want Kaichou to see me slacking!" She rushed back to the kitchen counter.

He stared at his bandaged hand, ruminating on what she had said. For a devil, she was surprisingly . . . human.

No. That wasn't fair to her. She was already far more compassionate than many clergymen he had met.

And if that was the case . . . then in the end, in their hearts, what truly differentiated humans and devils?

He stood up, walking until he was beside her.

"Grip the knife like this. It will give you better control."

"Wait, like this?"

"Correct. Shape your other hand into a claw; it will help prevent you from suffering my fate . . . ."

And in that fleeting moment of peace, he was a teacher again, and, despite the divisions between them, she, his student.

xxx

Jeanne was mad.

No, that wasn't quite right.

She was _livid._

"Hey, you alright up there?" Her current partner-in-crime, Heracles, called out to her. "You look like something's gotten you real worked up."

The two of them had narrowly escaped from that _mess_ in the Underworld. They had been biding their time ever since, waiting for Cao Cao and the others to resurface. Until recently, when one of her contacts within the Khaos Brigade had contacted her with an interesting tidbit of information that she had initially doubted the veracity of.

Intel that she now saw was _all too accurate_.

She was perched atop a tree branch. From her vantage point, she could see a quaint little church off in the distance.

Now, if that was all, that wouldn't be _nearly_ enough to piss her off. But the fact that those _damn devils_ she had fought in the Underworld were strolling in and out of the building all nonchalantly _most definitely did_.

"The nerve of those heathens!" She hissed. "How dare they defile such a holy place with their presence!"

"Yeah, yeah." Heracles tapped his foot, impatient. "Just tell me already if the intel we got is good or not." He cracked his knuckles. "Cause, y'know, I need to serve up some _payback_."

Ignoring her loudmouth compatriot for the moment, she tightened her grip on the sight-enhancing Holy Sword she had created and focused her eyes further (being able to create Holy Swords that did whatever she wanted sure was handy).

There! Those amulets swaying in the breeze as those filthy devils walked around . . . that _had_ to be their secret to infiltrating the church.

She wasn't one-hundred percent sure – but her gut supported her guess, and she had learned to always trust her gut.

She hopped down and turned to her partner, who was still tapping his foot impatiently and glaring at her.

"Now, now, don't be so dour." She grinned. "We're about to get our revenge, just like you wanted."

Heracles' frown finally twisted into a smile. "Excellent. I would've been pissed if this turned out to be a waste of time."

She nodded absentmindedly, mind already racing with thoughts for plans. If she played this right, the devil scum would be easy pickings, and the two of them might even be hailed as heroes by the church's residents!

Her Sacred Gear responded, forming a nameless blade that would fulfill her wish.

She held it up, pointing its gleaming, black tip at the church off in the distance.

"Let's go kill some devils."

xxx

"Good work, everyone. That should be it for today."

Sona looked on her exhausted peerage with a smile. She had her doubts starting out but seeing how they had risen to the occasion despite the "less than exciting" activities they were doing made her proud.

"S – So, uh . . ." Saji, who had been panting with his hands on his knees, straightened up. "I – I don't really mind doing this. Really. But . . ." His smile became a little forced. "When . . . when will we be finished?"

Sona paused. That . . . was not a question she knew the answer too. Her sister had not left her with an end date on their task.

"I do not know," she admitted.

Her peerage collectively face-faulted.

"Wh – What?!" Ruruko looked horrified. "Are we – are we going to be doing this forever?!"

"Nothing so drastic, I would assume," Reya said.

"While I do not mind this sort of activity either," Tsubasa said, "I do think it would be a shame if we did this for the remainder of our break."

As more of them started voicing their protests, Tsubaki stepped in.

"Enough!" Her voice was firm. "The duration of our duty here is entirely up to Kaichou." She looked at Sona meaningfully.

Sona hesitated. She didn't know how long they had to do this for their work here to be considered a success, and she was afraid that they might miss some hidden quota.

Should she call her sister to ask? Serafall did leave her with that summoning circle . . .

 _Wait . . . this was all part of her plan, wasn't it? Deliberately leaving out details so I would be forced to contact her to ask about them . . . what a devious ploy._

And considering her strong sense of responsibility, there was no way she would risk failure over something as trivial as a sibling spat.

 _Well played, Onee-sama._

Sighing, her hand drifted to her pocket . . .

"Oh? How nice of all of you to gather up in a nice, large group for us!"

A chill ran up her spine as an uncomfortably familiar voice rang out. Was it . . . ?

"I've been waiting a long time for us." The sound of knuckles cracking. "Revenge will be sweet."

Sona and her peerage turned to see the two members of the Hero faction they had fought in the Underworld, Heracles and Jeanne, standing before them. There was a conspicuous lack of any of the church members who usually frequented the area.

Immediately, they all tensed as they prepared for battle.

"Oh yeah? Big words, considering we were wiping the floor with you before!" Saji yelled.

"Indeed." Tsubaki's voice was cold as she leveled her naginata at the two intruders. "And this time, there are no hostages for you to hide behind."

Jeanne's sinister smile widened. "You seem to be forgetting something, filthy Devil-chan. Do you remember where we are?"

They all blinked confusion before realizing what she meant.

"Don't think you'll have an advantage just because we're in a church!" Tomoe said.

"On the contrary . . ." Jeanne's smile vanished, leaving only a flat, hard line.

"The very fact that we're in a church is why you've already lost." She raised her blade.

A moment of puzzlement. Suddenly, Sona had a dreadful premonition –

"STOP HER!"

It felt like the world had slowed down. She could see her peerage instantly react, not knowing why but trusting their King's orders.

They closed in at an almost sluggish pace. But even as they charged forward, Heracles threw himself in front of his comrade, shielding her long enough for their plan to go off –

Jeanne's blade vibrated, pulsing with energy. As it reached a climax, she called out:

" _Attract_."

At first, nothing happened. But then, it was as if the sword had become the center of a black hole, sucking everything into its swirling depths.

Right as she was about to throw up a barrier to shield themselves against the torrent, it ceased, disappearing almost as fast as it had appeared.

Blinking, her eyes darted about, trying to understand why their opponent had stopped her attack so soon.

Jeanne's smile was back. But this one was a smile of triumph, of knowing that she had won, had crushed her foes utterly.

". . . Lost something?" She held up a hand.

In it, the amulets they had been wearing clinked as they brushed against each other.

Sona's eyes widened in horror.

"No – !"

Then the pain hit, and her mind became enveloped in a searing expanse of white.

xxx

Something was wrong.

Every single one of Ewald's battle instincts, honed from years of experience, were firing at full throttle. There was a tinge of bloodlust in the air, a pervasive feeling of malice that should not be present in a place as sacred as a church.

"Evacuate the civilians. Now. Tell the others to stay away; I will handle this."

The two other exorcists who had been helping him pack food glanced at him in surprise. After only a moment of hesitation, they nodded and immediately left to carry out his orders.

It had been a long time since he had assumed the role of commander and leader. Not so long ago, he would have been eager for this moment to come.

Now . . . now it was just another painful reminder of the things he had lost, and the things he stood to lose in the future.

But he would not shy away. So long as he still drew breath, he would protect those he cherished.

And as an honorable warrior, he would protect those who needed protecting.

Whoever they might be.

His feet carried him forward, guiding him through the winding hallways and corridors with only his instincts as a guide. He didn't doubt his intuition for even a moment; to doubt was to lose focus, and to lose focus was to suffer defeat before the battle even began.

And before he knew it, he had arrived.

He stared silently at the scene before him. The students were sprawled out on the ground, their bodies twitching as unimaginable pain coursed through them. There were two unknowns: a disturbingly cheerful woman, who, despite her smile, radiated an almost palpable bloodlust. And a massive, hulking brute, who looked as if he was eager to pick up one of the fallen students and crush them in his hands.

The woman grinned as she noticed Ewald's approach. "Oh? If you made it through our barrier, you must be an exorcist. I suppose I could let you have first pick on who dies first. But be quick, because we're not exactly the most patient of people, okay?"

He didn't answer; he merely stepped forward, until he was right in front of Sona.

Her smile widened. "Going for the King first? A fine choice, I must say."

He turned around as he drew his light sword, brandishing it against the invaders.

Her smile faltered. "Hey. What're you doing? They're devils, y'know?"

His tone was utterly calm. "Yes. I know."

Her face twisted in a snarl. "Then why are you protecting them?! You're an exorcist, aren't you?!"

"I am a teacher." He eyed them carefully, noting every detail about their stances. "And it is the teacher's duty to guide their students: to mentor them, nurture them, and above all . . ." He flourished his sword. "To protect them, when they cannot yet protect themselves."

". . . I see." The woman's expression was dark, almost livid. She looked as if he had betrayed her on the deepest level, despite having only just met. "That's a shame. I suppose we'll just have to chalk you up as an unfortunate casualty."

The man beside her laughed. "Shame for you, but I'm excited about this!" He pounded his fists together. "It's no fun if we take them down without a fight. I had half a mind to drag these brats outside so we could beat them up a bit before putting them down for good." He bent his knees, eyeing Ewald in that same analytic manner. "Hey, old geezer. Try to at least entertain us for a while, would you?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"What? Don't tell me you've gotten rusty in your old age, geezer."

"On the contrary . . ." He raised the tip of his sword, pointing it straight at his opponent. "I've never felt better."

The man grinned. "Good, good. Then . . ." His foot shifted backward as he crouched even lower like he was preparing to charge . . .

"Let's begin!"

A dash forward.

xxx

Jeanne was worried. And flustered. But mostly just worried.

It had been several minutes, and the man in front of her still wasn't dead yet.

How? _How_ was this man, this mere exorcist with no Sacred Gear to call his own, fending off both her and Heracles _at the same time?_

She liked to think that she was proficient with a blade, having undergone rigorous training after discovering her Sacred Gear at an early age.

But this man . . . with a mere light sword that shouldn't even be _comparable_ to the Holy Swords she could create, he was able to deflect _all_ her attacks with ease.

It was like he knew what she was going to do before even _she_ knew it. Despite doing her best to coordinate with her partner, they had yet to penetrate their opponent's stalwart defense.

They had tried several times to flank him to get at the fallen devils behind him and possibly use them as hostages, but each time their plan had been foiled, stopped cold by a deadly latticework of light.

This was bad. It was already a miracle that enemy reinforcements hadn't arrived yet, and the longer this dragged on, the less faith she had in a repeat miracle.

Her partner, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life.

"HAHAHA, THIS IS GREAT!" He threw several more vicious punches that created mighty explosions thanks to his Sacred Gear.

Their opponent grimaced as he did his best to dull the blows, bracing himself before each impact.

It wounded her pride to admit it, but it was clear that Heracles was giving him more trouble. The exorcist's swordsmanship was remarkable, stellar even, and it was more than enough to trump her own technique.

But Heracles' raw power cared little for technique. It only cared if you had the power to match it.

She could see their opponent's movements begin to slow, his vitality slowly weathered away by Heracles' fearsome barrage.

But it wasn't enough. They needed to end this _quickly_ , preferably _now._

Her mind raced as she planned. Perhaps if she . . . yes, yes, that should work.

She grimaced. While it would involve swallowing her pride as a swordswoman, she needed results. And if pure power was the way to get it . . . well, she could do that too.

Blade Blacksmith churned, forging her a beautiful, silvery-white blade. It had a divine aura to it, holiness practically radiating off its edge.

She could see his eyes widen in surprise as they darted to her newest armament. But he couldn't afford to step towards her, not while Heracles was bearing down on him, and certainly not while he had people to protect.

And that last factor would be the precise cause of his downfall.

She raised the sword, pointing its tip forward.

" _Luminous . . ._ "

Heracles, instinctively knowing what was coming, immediately jumped clear.

" _Ray!"_

The ray of destruction shot forward, seeking to engulf everything in its path.

She could see his lips move, his hands scrambling as they tossed scraps of paper in the air to form a makeshift barrier –

 **BOOM!**

When the smoke finally cleared, she was astonished to see that the man was still conscious.

He was down on one knee, panting, charred bits of paper scattered around him. But he was alive. And the devils behind him were still unharmed.

But that was fine. Because this was the opening they needed.

Heracles rushed forward and raised an arm, prepared to bring it down with crushing force on the now helpless exorcist . . .

But a small, slender hand froze it in its tracks.

Literally.

"Wha – what?!"

A dark-haired girl with pigtails who had not been there a moment before stood next to him. Her expression was playful, but her icy-blue eyes had a cold fury to them.

"My, my, there's no need to be so rough. You could've hurt someone with that, you know?"

"Damn bitch!" He roared as he tried to break free from the ice.

"What course language." The girl sighed. "I suppose I'll have to punish you." Her eyes snapped to Jeanne.

She felt her stomach drop. Riveted in place by those piercing eyes, she felt like she was staring into the depths of hell itself, and the fiery abominations that once laid dormant within were now rushing out to drag her kicking and screaming back with them –

" _Both of you."_

The girl's eyes flashed and winter came, cold and unforgiving, engulfing her in an icy nightmare.

She tried to scream.

But the thick ice and snow wouldn't even grant her that one small mercy.

xxx

Sona was feeling rather uncomfortable.

"Could you let go of me, Onee-san?"

"Nrrrrgh . . ." Serafall, who had decided to drape herself around her neck, stubbornly refused to budge. "Don't wanna."

They were sitting down at the base of a tree, enjoying the cool shade it provided. In the distance, she could see the church, along with the rest of her peerage and several exorcists talking it out.

She should be over there. Perhaps Serafall, too. But her sister had dragged her away before she could get a word in edgewise, so she was just going to have to rely on her Queen to see things through.

She sighed. After passing out in the church, the first thing she had seen upon regaining consciousness was her sister making a beeline towards her.

Normally, she would have regarded that as a horrifying sight and done her best to avoid her clingy sibling. But this time, there was a . . . a primal urge, a desperate need for comfort that wasn't usually present in her sister's antics.

So, she had just let it all happen, which had resulted in her current predicament of being trapped in her sibling's arms.

Maybe it hadn't been the best choice after all?

". . . I was really worried, y'know."

Sona was startled by her sister's surprisingly soft tone. "Onee-san?"

She could feel the arms around her neck shift.

"When I saw you lying on the ground like that . . . I got really scared. The very thought that I had lost you . . . I almost lost control."

Sona shivered. If her sister ever lost it . . . she feared for anyone within a one-hundred-mile radius of _that_ disaster.

"I'm sorry for making you worry," she said. "It was my fault for underestimating my opponents; I should've expected that they would try something underhanded again."

The two fallen heroes (although they were more like ice sculptures at this point) had been quickly taken into custody for later interrogation (and thawing). She was glad that her sister hadn't gone _too_ overboard with her "punishment" of them, or the church wouldn't even be here anymore.

"No, I should've been more prepared. _I_ was the one who gave you this task. Making the summoning circle send me an alert if you were ever in danger was good enough this time, but if I had been a second too late – "

Sona did something she never thought she would do again.

She turned around and embraced her sister.

A surprised gasp. "So-tan . . . ?"

"I'm not a kid anymore, Onee-san." She tried very hard to ignore how her face was pressed against her sister's bosom. "You can't always be there to catch me. You _shouldn't_ always be there to catch me. How will I ever learn from my mistakes and grow otherwise?"

"But . . ." Serafall's face was a twisted mess of emotions. "Life isn't fair. Sometimes . . . a mistake gets you _killed_. Or the ones you _love_ killed."

"I know. And you were in the right this time. But there's a middle ground, a compromise between overprotectiveness and carelessness." Sona lifted herself away from her sister's chest. "You need to learn to let go a little. To let me handle things on my own. It'll help me grow, and . . ." Her tone softened. "It'll help you stop blaming yourself every time something goes wrong in my life."

Her sister was silent, slowly absorbing her words. Eventually, she smiled weakly and laughed. "What're you talking about, So-tan?" She pulled her closer. "You're my cute little sister. I won't ever let you go!"

Sona smiled softly. She wasn't used to comforting others, but if Serafall was beginning to act like her old self more, then her words must've been of some help.

"Now, shouldn't we be getting back to the others?" She tried to pry her sister's hands off her. "I'm sure you have some things to say to those exorcists."

Serafall shook her head. "No." Her tone was still low, but it held a little more confidence than before. "It's not my place to address them."

She was surprised. "What? But aren't you the head of Foreign Affairs?"

A sardonic laugh. "Politically, yes. But politics won't make you friends. And that's what we're trying to do right now. Besides . . ." She gestured towards the group in the distance. "They seem to be doing fine on their own."

Sona was mildly surprised to see that yes, her peerage and the exorcists seemed to be getting along despite the revelation of their true nature. She watched as Saji and a young exorcist they had met a few days ago arm wrestle on the ground as several onlookers cheered. She watched as Ruruko and Momo grouped up with a couple of female exorcists to create their own clique on the side: a clique that seemed focused around hushed whispers and furtive glances at several men. She watched as Tsubaki took out her naginata and demonstrated several drills, much to the awe of several fresh-faced exorcists.

"See . . . ?" Serafall's voice was wistful, nostalgic. "They've grown to know you . . . the _true_ you, with all your joys, hopes, and flaws, not the vile, sinister caricature we've been painted as. In the face of all that, something like race doesn't seem like such an insurmountable barrier anymore, does it?"

"Yeah . . ." Sona was amazed. To think that inter-faction relations could progress so much in such a short period of time. And all thanks to an activity as mundane as volunteering!

But she was getting sidetracked. Something about what her sister had said didn't quite sit right with her.

"Even if you hold an official position, that doesn't mean you can't greet others in a personal manner as well."

Serafall blinked. Clearly, she hadn't expected _this_ topic to come back up again. "Well, um . . . ."

Sona was beginning to suspect there was something more behind her sister's reluctance to join the group. "And as you said, they've seemed to have accepted us for _who_ we are rather than _what_ we are. Isn't this the perfect time to greet them? Unless there's another reason why you don't want to." She looked at her sibling meaningfully.

Serafall chuckled. "I should've known my cute little So-tan wouldn't let me slip one past her!" She sighed, a melancholic sigh of someone who's seen too much, lost too much, and suffered too much.

"It's too late for me."

Sona blinked in confusion, not quite understanding. "What do you mean by that?"

"In an era of peace, excess power has no place. And when it comes to power, I'm a monster." She laughed in self-derision. "All of us Satans are, in fact. We are the very nightmares that spawned such hate and revulsion of devils in the first place. Do you know how many people I've killed, So-tan?"

". . . No."

"Too many, that's for sure." Serafall's face had a pensive sadness to it. "It's better for us relics of the past to stay out of sight, to fade away and let the younger generation take over. They aren't burdened by our sins, our burdens. And hopefully, they won't ever be."

Sona couldn't claim to understand what her sister was feeling. And if her sibling had her way, she never would. But she couldn't help but feel that this line of thinking was unfair, that it forced her sister and others like her to suffer too much, to sacrifice too much, all for the sake of a reward that they willingly denied themselves.

She couldn't stand it.

". . . Get up."

Serafall stared at her in surprise. "What . . . ? So-tan – !"

With strength she didn't think she had, she lifted her sibling up and began dragging her over to the group they had been watching all this time.

"W – Wait! Didn't I just say – ?!"

"Yes, I heard you the first time."

"T – Then you should know that – !"

"Yes, I know. But I refuse to accept it." She turned around to stare at her sibling in the face. "Think of this as me acting on my own. We both agreed that this would be healthier for me in the long run, correct?"

Serafall looked like she was about to tear up. "S – So-tan!"

She knew that her sister was stronger than her. She could break free at any moment, stopping this hare-brained scheme of hers.

But she didn't.

She just let herself be dragged along, half carried and half walking on her own power.

By the time they reached the others, Sona felt completely exhausted.

"Hey, Kaichou! Where've you been?" Saji greeted her from the ground, locked in yet another arm-wrestling match (but with a different exorcist this time). "I'm on a winning streak! Wanna watch?"

"I've been talking some sense into my sister. And no, I think I'll pass, thank you."

The others all turned to look at her as she approached. Her peerage looked at her with confidence and trust; she knew that they would support whatever decision she made.

The exorcists looked at her with curiosity and uncertainty. Although the grudges of the past had mostly evaporated, the future was still uncertain, but she could tell they were willing to put in the effort to make it work out.

She could see Ewald, who had defended her and her peerage while they had been helpless. She bowed to him. "Thank you for your aid. Were it not for your assistance, my peerage and I would have been in most dire straits."

He nodded at her. "It is my duty as a teacher to protect students, no matter whose or whom they may be." He glanced at Serafall, who was standing off to the side, fidgeting. "And who might this be?"

"This is my sister," she declared. "Serafall Sitri."

She heard her peerage's sharp intake of breath. It was no surprise; after all, as far as devil culture was concerned, people who became Satans like her sister were no longer part of the clans they once hailed from.

But here and now, the title of "Satan" would merely be a burden. Her sister was here not as the Leviathan, but as Serafall.

Her sibling still seemed unsure about the whole situation, but she managed to smile and give a timid wave. "H – Hello!"

It was a strange feeling, seeing her normally mischievous and assertive sister so unbalanced. But it was also strangely reassuring, knowing that even someone as indomitable as her sister had her weak moments.

Ewald gazed at Serafall with a careful expression. From what Sona had heard of her sister's rather _excessive_ display, she had no doubt that the man knew there was more to her sibling than meets the eye.

After a moment, his gaze softened, and he gave an approving nod.

As if taking this as a cue, the other exorcists began approaching her sister as well.

Sona thought her sister was used to dealing with crowds considering how famous she was in the Underworld, but if what happened next was any indication . . .

Well, she would have to revise that thought.

xxx

"Hah, hah . . . kids these days sure are scary, So-tan!"

"Young they might be, but I would hardly consider them 'kids.'"

"Silly So-tan! When you get to be my age, everyone seems like a kid in comparison!"

The exorcists had been surprisingly eager to interact with her sister, commenting on how strong she was and asking her to demonstrate some of her magic to them. They had been awed by her rather simple display, asking her to perform increasingly fancier feats of magic (including some requests that neither of them had ever considered before). Serafall had seemed rather nervous at first, but soon grew used to the attention and praise, acting like she was simply on her TV show.

Soon after, they said their goodbyes and left the church, but not before Ewald gave them his phone number in case they wished to contact him. They were now in the Sitri manor in the Underworld (much to her peerage's' delight), waiting for the construction of Auros Academy to be finished.

At least, that's what _she_ was waiting for. Sona had no idea what her sister was still hanging around for.

"So, what're you doing here? Don't you have other duties to attend to?" she asked with a stern tone.

"How cold, So-tan! Can't your darling sister spend time with her cute little sister every once in a while?"

Sona rolled her eyes. "You've already been here for an hour. Don't you have better things to do?"

A sigh. "I suppose we'll have to part ways for now. Don't miss your big sister too much, m'kay?"

Now, that wasn't a hard request at all. She could do with some peace and quiet for a while.

"But before that . . ."

Sona suddenly had a bad feeling. Should she dash out of the room? Or maybe she should teleport away?

"There's something interesting I thought you should know. It might affect how you run that school of yours."

She stopped with a teleportation circle half pulled out of her pocket. ". . . Go on."

"Sirzechs-chan and Azazel-chan came up with a nifty idea a while ago: an international Rating Game tournament called the Azazel Cup!"

Sona blinked. "International? So, you mean factions other than devils would be able to participate?"

"Correct! It's supposed to act as a proxy war or something to let out all that pent-up aggression between factions to prevent _real_ wars from happening." A smile. "It hasn't been officially announced quite yet, but when it does . . . well, you're opening a school for Rating Games, aren't you?" She winked. "See where I'm going with this?"

She could, indeed, see where her sister was going with this. If such an event was going to take place, then the demand for her school could possibly skyrocket. And not just from devils, but potentially from members of other factions too . . .

"Are you suggesting that I open the doors of my school to the other factions as well?" she asked with only a hint of incredulity.

"Well, Rating Games _are_ traditionally a devils' pastime. And we wouldn't want the other factions to accuse us of having an unfair advantage because of that, right? Giving them the chance to learn the basics in your school would help alleviate some of those concerns."

Sona's mind was going full throttle as she considered the possibilities. She had originally intended for the school to be open to devils of all walks, but to open it to _anyone_ , regardless of faction?

That was a rather ambitious leap. But if it worked out . . . it would help cement this tenuous peace between the factions. And not just between the Biblical factions, but the other pantheons as well.

Of course, she was going to have to rethink some of the logistics involved. Classrooms would need to be able to accommodate the needs of all the varied races, which would be a logistical nightmare in and of itself.

Not to mention the teachers. If a school was going to have an international student body, it was only right that it had an international staff as well.

That might be a tough order to deliver. But at the very least, there was one person who she hoped would answer her request.

She recalled the phone number she had memorized already and dialed it on her phone.

"Hello, Cristaldi-san? I have a favor to ask . . . ."

xxx

Homura was sitting glumly at a desk.

It was a nice desk, all things considered: the wood was mahogany, and the chair was surprisingly comfortable.

But she didn't care about any of that. She was too irritated by her present situation.

Through the window, she noticed a family of three walk by. A tall, handsome man, a motherly woman, and a small child.

Each of them had leathery, bat-like wings coming out of their backs.

Sigh. Coming to the Underworld had _not_ exactly been on her to-do list, but . . .

 _Please, Homura-chan?_

Apparently, Madoka had owed someone a favor. And part of repaying the favor involved sending a delegation to some school in the Underworld that had been recently built.

And so, here she was. Upon arriving, she had been ushered into this classroom and asked to wait. Along with some . . . familiar faces, who had arrived with her.

"Woah, your wings look so cool! Can I touch them?" Sayaka's boisterous voice was easily audible even from the other side of the classroom.

"They are rather sensitive, so I would prefer that you abstain from doing so," Xenovia replied.

"What about flying? Have ya given that a try yet?" Kyoko asked.

"We have, with some rather . . . mixed results," Irina said with a sheepish look.

While the four of them were huddled in a corner, discussing the two exorcists-turned-angels' new appendages, Mami was sitting at the desk next to hers, organizing a stack of notebooks.

"Shouldn't you be over there with them?" Homura asked.

Mami simply smiled at her. "I could say the same of you, Akemi-san."

"You know that I don't work well with others."

"Oh? From what Quarta-san and Shidou-san mentioned, you seemed to mesh with them well enough during that incident in Kuoh. And you worked well with Kyoko and me back . . . back before."

"Mere flukes, I assure you."

The other girl sighed. "I doubt that it was all a stroke of luck, but I don't think I can change your mind on the matter." A pause. "Why are you here, Akemi-san?"

Now it was Homura's turn to pause. "Pardon . . . ?"

"I can easily tell that you do not want to be here. Why, then, are you here, in a place you do not wish to be?"

That had a rather simple answer. "Because Madoka asked me to."

A piercing glance. "Is that all? Do you have no investment in the _why_ of the matter, or some personal reason to come here?"

". . . Not particularly, no."

Homura didn't particularly care about the affairs of the world she now found herself in. All she did, she did to protect Madoka or because she believed it would put a smile on Madoka's face.

That was it. Her be-all end-all.

It was a remnant of the past, in a way. After spending so much of her life devoted to her friend, several lifetimes' worth in fact, the very notion was deeply entrenched in her very soul.

It was hard to care about anyone else at this point. Even Mami, who once shone as brightly as Madoka in her early life, could no longer hold a candle to the bonfire that was her friend.

Mami gave her a sad look. "That's not a very healthy way to live, Akemi-san."

"It's the only way I know how to live anymore, Tomoe-san."

Another sigh. "You could've said 'no'. Madoka-sama would understand."

Homura tilted her head. "There was no reason to say no."

". . . I see." She turned away, but Homura could just make out the pitying look on her face.

Before she could dwell on the matter any further, the door to the classroom flew open and Saji stepped in.

"Alright! Thanks for waiting; everything should finally be set up now."

Sayaka raised a hand. "Hey, uh, what exactly are we here for? If you don't mind me asking."

The boy blinked. "Oh, yeah. That." He cleared his throat. "So, Kaichou wanted to open a Rating Game school. And originally, it was going to be for devils only, but now she wants to make it international!" He spread out his hands in a grand gesture. "Which means, anyone can attend. From any faction!"

Homura raised an eyebrow. That sounded like a rather ambitious leap, especially given how tense relationships between certain factions were.

"You all are here today," the boy continued, "to help us do a test run of the system, so to speak. Before adding some of the more foreign factions into the mix, we wanted to see how well members of the Biblical factions could handle working closely together. So! I hope none of you have any grudges or anything . . ." He laughed weakly.

Xenovia was nodding in approval. "I must commend your King for making such a bold decision. Few have the willpower and resolve to make such a thing reality."

"Yeah! This sounds like a really cool idea. I'd be glad to help test it," Irina added.

Kyoko shrugged. "Don't expect me to pay much attention in class, although I suppose picking up a few new combat tricks would be nice."

"Indeed," Mami said. "This sounds like a wonderful idea."

Homura remained silent. She just wanted to get this over with.

"Alright! If you'll follow me . . . ."


	15. That world you see

Sayaka wasn't too thrilled to be sitting in a classroom again.

She was certain that any moment now the door would shoot open, and the teacher would come barging in, handing out worksheets left-and-right and telling them to finish it by the end of the period or else it was going to be homework!

Well, considering that this was a school for "Rating Games" or whatever, the subject would probably be a lot more interesting than the boring subjects back in her old school like math or history. But she still wouldn't be surprised if she was forced to jot stuff down before the class was over.

As she waited for that dreaded moment, her eyes scanned the classroom, taking in the other people there.

Xenovia was in the desk next to hers – she was sitting up straight, waiting patiently for class to begin.

 _Of course she would be such a model student._

Near the back, she spotted a short, white-haired girl who was flopped on her desk, lying there languidly like a cat who had found a nice, sunny spot and couldn't be bothered to move.

 _Huh . . . just looking at her is making me sleepy . . . ._

Stifling a yawn, she glanced at the rest of the room, noticing a young, handsome-looking blonde man sitting right next to . . . another young, handsome-looking blonde man?

She blinked, thinking she was seeing double before realizing that one of them was wearing glasses.

 _Phew. That'll make it a lot easier to tell them apart._

The last person she noticed was a boyish-looking man with short brown hair. Sensing her gaze, he turned, flashing her a grin and a thumbs up.

She grinned and gave him a thumbs up in response.

At that moment, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with black hair walked in.

Upon seeing him, Xenovia's posture grew even more rigid (if that were even possible).

"Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ewald Cristaldi, and I will be your instructor for the duration of this . . . 'experience day,' as our hosts have taken to calling it."

He stood behind the lectern at the front of the room, scanning the room with a neutral expression. As his eyes passed over Xenovia, he gave her a brief nod before continuing.

Hmm . . . Sayaka wondered what that nod meant. He was dressed like an exorcist, so maybe Xenovia was a former pupil of his?

"I will be frank with you all; a mere week ago, I would not have been able to fathom the idea that I would be standing here, a school in the Underworld, instructing those I have never even met before." He began pacing back-and-forth. "I am a different person now. I am here because I believe in Sitri-san's vision, of a future where we are not separated by invisible lines that divide us by birth or circumstance." His gaze drifted meaningfully across the room. "I will not ask that you share in our vision, but I _do_ ask that you respect it, at the very least."

His pacing stopped. "Now with that out of the way, why don't we each introduce ourselves? Feel free to state or omit your affiliation as you see fit."

A chair immediately scraped backward. "I am Xenovia Quarta, a reincarnated angel." She sat back down, shooting Sayaka a glance.

She blinked. Noticing that everyone else was looking at her, she immediately stood up as well. "M – My name is Sayaka Miki! I'm also with Heaven; pleased to meetcha!"

The girl in the back blearily sat up. "Koneko Toujou. Devil." She slumped back onto her desk.

One of the blonde boys stood up and smiled. "Yuuto Kiba. I'm also a devil." He sat back down.

The stern-looking man next to him spoke tersely. "Arthur Pendragon."

The brown-haired boy laughed. "Don't mind him, he doesn't talk much." He jabbed a thumb at himself. "I'm Bikou! I guess technically for this, we're representing the Grigori."

Ewald nodded. "An even spread. That is good." He paused. "The focus of this class will be physical combat," he declared.

Several heads immediately perked up.

". . . However, with such a diverse group, and with little to no knowledge of each of your capabilities, it would be very difficult for me to know what area each of you is lacking in. Which is why I have organized a series of bouts to help us get started."

Bouts? Sayaka's eyes nervously darted across the room, assessing the competition.

There was a wide array of expressions, ranging from deathly bored to overly eager. Aside from Xenovia, she had no way of knowing what each of them was capable of.

Eh, she could probably just wing it. Her pride demanded that she put up a respectable showing at least, which hopefully wouldn't be that hard.

xxx

Kyoko had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on.

". . . One of the advantages of demonic magic is that, quite literally, the sky's the limit. The only limit to what you can create with it is your imagination. However, despite its flexibility, it has an equally great drawback of being very easy to disrupt. Unlike a Magician's spell, which relies entirely on mathematical equations and algorithms to function and produce a result, demonic magic requires the user to visualize the effect they wish to create. Consistency becomes a glaring issue when the smallest of differences in your mental image can severely affect the outcome of your spell. Black magic, while similar to demonic magic, trades some flexibility for consistency through the art of sacrifice . . ."

When this "MacGregor Mathers" guy said that he was going to teach them magic, she thought it would involve flashy demonstrations: sparks flying, physics-defying, reality-bending shenanigans.

The _actuality_ was that he just started droning on and on about the philosophy and theory behind each school of magic, and Kyoko quickly lost all interest.

Who cared about the voodoo behind magic, anyway? She just wanted to see results!

In her boredom, she glanced over at the others, wondering how they were enduring this onslaught of words, words, and more words.

Pigtails seemed to be having a hard time taking it all in; which was to be expected, since as far as Kyoko knew, that girl had no experience using magic. At least she seemed to pay rapt attention when the teacher began babbling about White magic and angel magic.

Vampire Kid and Witch Girl were both listening attentively, soaking up everything coming out of that guy's mouth like a pair of eager, wide-eyed sponges. In fact, if her eyes didn't deceive her, they were . . . they were actually taking _notes!_

Well, good for them, she supposed. She doubted that even _they_ would find a use for half the stuff that was getting spouted off at the speed of light. Like, did they really need to know that Black magic got its name because its creator thought "black" would be an edgy name?

Sheesh, this was almost as useless as math class. At least she could use math to ration out food supplies over the course of a week.

The last two members of their unfortunate cohort, Cat Girl and Ice Queen, seemed to be . . . well, she couldn't quite tell what they were doing. Ice Queen was just sitting there with a smile plastered on, nodding every few seconds like she was paying attention. Cat Girl was sitting with her head resting on one hand, so still that she looked like she was asleep.

Wait. Was she asleep? With her eyes open, at that?

Damn, she was kind of jealous. If she had a skill like that, she could totally save herself an eternity of boredom.

". . . And now that we've covered the basic theory, let's delve into some practical applications!"

Kyoko instantly perked up. That sounded promising, at the very least. She could handle some talking as long as it was accompanied by something cool like an explosion. Preferably loud. Bonus points if it was also very big.

"Sakura-san, Himejima-san, and Kuroka-san; since you three seem to be quite enthusiastic about this class, why don't you all come up and help me give a demonstration?"

His words were innocent, but the underlying tone made it clear that he knew exactly who the slackers in his class were.

 _Crap! Busted._

Glancing at her fellow "victims," she saw Ice Queen blink several times in confusion before looking sheepish at being caught red-handed.

Cat Girl, on the other hand, stood up in a swift, fluid motion that belied the fact that she had been sleeping but a few moments ago.

 _A light sleeper_ and _fast reflexes? Wouldn't want to try sneaking up on_ her _anytime soon._

They went to the front of the class, where MacGregor had them stand in a line facing him.

"While magic is an extremely broad and complex field, the one thing all schools of magic have in common is that they can all be disrupted – even the most rigid formula of the brightest Magician has a fatal flaw that you can exploit." He turned to the three of them expectantly. "I will demonstrate this concept now; I want each of you to try to cast something, anything at all, and I will do my best to counter it. If any of you can successfully get a spell past me within the time limit of, say, three minutes, then it will be your victory."

"Any spell at all? Hoho, I hope you won't mind if I use some of my more . . . dangerous spells," Ice Queen said with a sweet grin.

Cat Girl laughed. "Don't blame me if you can't keep up, Nya."

Outwardly, Kyoko was perfectly calm, responding with a nonchalant "Yeah, sure."

Inwardly, she was panicking because she had no idea what she was going to do.

She was supposed to be keeping the whole "magical girl" thing a secret but using any of her magic ran the risk of blowing her cover. On the other hand, she didn't know any of this world's magic, and not casting anything would likely draw even more suspicion.

Ice Queen raised her hands, sparks of electricity beginning to crackle between them –

A gust of wind blew past, and the girl blinked in surprise as the sparks faded like a fire that had been blown out.

"A basic yet useful technique," MacGregor said, holding a hand out, a faint trail of runes still visible in the air. "It can be expanded upon in a number of different ways, but that also means it can be negated in an equally great number of ways."

Cat Girl, seeing that he was distracted, began tracing an ink-black character in the air –

But she wasn't even halfway done before the lines crumbled to ash, dissipating into nothingness.

"Youjutsu? That is one form of spellcraft that I am not as well-versed in as I would like to be," their teacher lamented, as if he had not just effortlessly dispelled it as easily as the first. "I am ashamed to admit that I had to overcome it through raw power rather than finesse; perhaps we could trade notes later?"

Cat Girl, clearly not amused at being upstaged, redoubled her efforts, using both hands to scrawl runes in the air, quickly working herself into a frenzy.

Similarly, Ice Queen's sweet grin had only gotten wider as more and more demonic energy crackled around her body, growing larger but never reaching a critical point before it was blown away.

 _Shit, shit. Alright, I gotta do something here – I am_ not _going to be dead weight!_

Judging by the other girls' murderous looks, they were going for the more . . . "offensive" type of magic. What if she switched it up? He said that any spell at all would count, and warding spells seemed like a nice, safe option that probably had an equivalent in this world.

She rubbed a thumb against her ring, her transformed Soul Gem. Using the contact to siphon off several strands of energy, she focused them on the ground around their teacher –

"Hmm? Interesting . . . I've never seen a spell like this before!"

The strands were burned, consumed in a blazing inferno.

Kyoko cursed under her breath; not only had her gambit not worked, but it seemed her magic had drawn attention after all.

"It seemed to have its root in the imagination, just like demonic magic. But the actual execution of the spell was highly complex and formulaic, almost like a Magician's spell!" MacGregor was looking at her as he spoke, still fending off Ice Queen's and Cat Girl's assaults with ease despite it. "I would be very interested in learning more about it; see me after class, would you?"

Kyoko inwardly groaned.

Great. Not only was the cat out of the bag, but she was going to be spending _far_ more time with this guy than she wanted.

How did Sayaka survive going to school for years? Kyoko wasn't even through her first class, and she already wanted to leave and never look back.

 **BOOM!**

"Ah, Himejima-san? I don't believe that constitutes proper spellcasting . . ."

Well, she got her explosions, at the very least.

xxx

"Hello, everyone! It's your favorite fallen angel here, now serving as your very special instructor for this very special class!"

When Homura saw who their teacher was, she had half a mind to just get up and walk out.

To her, Azazel was . . . she couldn't say that she _hated_ the man, but she found his antics to bothersome at times. And while normally she could at least tolerate him, she was feeling awfully irritable, for some reason.

Must be the air down here. God knows that the circulation in the Underworld must be terrible.

Her "classmates" had a myriad of reactions to their newly revealed teacher. Issei was wildly waving at him, a big smile on his face. "Hey there, Azazel-san! I didn't know you were going to be a teacher in Kaichou's new school!"

Azazel sighed dramatically. "I didn't know either until I was asked to give a very special lecture to a very special group of people!"

A man with short black hair and grey eyes who was sitting near the back chuckled. "I seem to distinctly recall you begging a certain someone to ask their sister to give you this opportunity."

"I'll have you know, Tobio-kun, that I was not, in fact, begging, but _asking earnestly_ ," he declared with a straight face. "There is an important distinction!"

The fallen angel walked forward, stopping right in front of a silver-haired.

"Vali," he said teasingly, "Don't expect your old man to go easy on you."

Vali was smiled in response. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The fallen angel nodded before turning around.

"I'm sure you're all wondering what this class is about. Well, it's a class about Sacred Gears! More specifically, the Longinus. In case any of you haven't noticed already, everyone in this room aside from me is in possession of a Longinus."

Homura blinked in surprise. Her fellow students didn't really look like the type of people who had access to literal God-killing powers, but she supposed that she didn't either.

"I'm sure all of you are quite familiar with using your Longinus at this point," Azazel continued. "However, a little bird, although in this case I suppose I should say 'monkey,' has told me something quite interesting – even Longinus that don't have creatures sealed in them –" He glanced meaningfully at Issei and Vali. "Have some sort of consciousness embedded in them."

A consciousness? Was that what the voice that responded to her when she was in dire straits was?

"This is, of course, a significant revelation. Considering how closely bound a Sacred Gear is with the bearer's very soul, the presence of such a consciousness could have far-reaching effects on both the host's mind and body. Especially considering that these entities are far more hidden than their conspicuous counterparts, meaning that diagnosing and discerning their effects are much more difficult."

Is that so? Homura figured that a voice in her head would be a very obvious symptom of her Sacred Gear.

"That is why, for this class, the purpose is to 'open a line of communication' with the Longinus, so to speak. Since both Issei-kun and Vali have managed to do so already, albeit in a much simpler manner . . ." He glanced at the two in question. "I would like the two of you to help the others to do the same."

Issei grinned. "Alright! You can count on me!"

"I have no objections," Vali said.

"Excellent! Then let's begin."

xxx

Sayaka was sore. And bruised. But mostly just sore.

At least, that's what she was _telling_ herself, but she wasn't feeling much of anything at that moment.

 _Man, these guys were tough._

Their teacher had insisted that they all spar with each of their classmates, resulting in five matches for each of them. Which was about two or three matches more than she thought she could handle.

Keyword being "thought." Turns out, it was pretty easy to ignore fatigue in her new body. There was this strange disconnect, a distance that made it feel like she was playing a videogame. An intense, hyper-realistic videogame.

It eerily reminded her of how she could ignore pain back in her other body. Her . . . zombie body. The one that she still didn't like thinking about.

Come to think of it, did her _current_ body count as a zombie? If what Madoka said was true, then these were brand new bodies – specially made for them and never lived-in before!

So, not zombie-like at all. It was more like . . . a puppet. A doll that someone made. Which was totally not as creepy. Yeah.

Anyway, she got trounced by that Arthur guy. Then again, he trounced everyone else too, so she didn't feel too bad about losing to him. That guy made swinging a sword look like fine art!

Most of the other bouts were more evenly matched, involving tense stalemates until someone finally made a mistake. The scores were fairly even as well, although she began picking up more wins in the later bouts once everyone else got tired.

"I am . . ." Huff. "Impressed . . ." Huff. "By your stamina . . ." Huff. "Miki-san."

Xenovia, her latest sparring partner (although at this point it was more like "victim") was doubled over, greedily sucking in air.

Sayaka scratched the back of her head and laughed. "It's nothing, really. I just got lucky that you stumbled."

Around them, the other students were in similar states of fatigue. The only notable exceptions were herself, the teacher, and Arthur.

Hmm. She couldn't help but feel that she cheated. After all, normal people couldn't casually ignore fatigue. Or sores. Or aches. Or whatever bodily sensation they wanted.

. . . She felt kind of bad now. Maybe she should've held back more, to compensate?

"An excellent showing from all of you," Ewald said. "I hope this has been a valuable learning experience for each and every one of you."

He had gone around the room, observing the fights as they occurred and giving feedback to both combatants after the spar was over. Sayaka learned that she tended to guard low and that she often overextended on her swings.

Well, she never had any formal training with the sword, so it was no surprise that her technique was so shoddy. Magic instincts could only go so far.

A hand weakly rose into the air. "Was . . . was it really necessary . . . to have . . . so many fights?" Bikou asked.

"I think I'm dying," Koneko moaned from where she lied on the floor.

"With so many different fighting styles in this room, it would've been a shame to not experience all of them," Ewald said.

Different styles? She counted four sword users in the room! (Five if they were including the teacher). That didn't seem very varied to her.

"But the more important thing is that you were challenged, that you were pushed to the limit. This bone-breaking exhaustion should not be a stranger to any of you. It should be your closest friend, the one who you spend the most time in the company of. It should be your night companion, the blanket that embraces you when you sleep."

Yuuto frowned, shakily propping himself up next to a desk. "That sounds . . . awfully excessive. Isn't such a training regimen unhealthy?"

Ewald gave him a level gaze. "If children, _human_ children, who have not yet even hit their growth spurts can handle this kind of training, then I'm sure each of you can as well."

Silence. An all-encompassing silence engulfed the room as they stared at the teacher in surprise.

He sighed. "You needn't be so surprised. Such training was a necessity for exorcists. After all . . ." His gaze swept across the room. "We are not as strong as you. We are not as fast as you. We are not even as gifted as you. We humans have no advantage against the supernatural, save for our dedication and grit." He paused. "There was little choice. Each exorcist trained like their life depended on it. Which it did. Both theirs, and the lives of their comrades. A single lapse in concentration is all it takes for a fragile, human life to be extinguished."

He glanced at Arthur. "I'm sure you've all witnessed Pendragon-san's skill firsthand. Do you know why he didn't hold back?"

"Because he just wanted to beat us up?" Bikou replied.

Arthur snorted. "Please. I've beaten you so many times I've gotten bored of it."

"H – Hey –!"

"I will not deny that possibility," Ewald said. "But it is also because – to put it bluntly, holding back is a bad habit."

". . . A bad habit?" Koneko asked.

"Indeed. Whenever you train, you are also training your muscle memory. How it feels to make an attack. How it feels to dodge a blow. All of that is engraved into your body. Now, imagine that when you practice, you pull your punches at the last second. What would that do after tens, no, _hundreds_ of repetitions?"

". . . You would start to instinctively hold back," Xenovia concluded.

"Correct." He nodded at his former pupil. "And in a real fight, that habit could get you killed."

"But . . . if we train without holding back, wouldn't someone get hurt?" Sayaka asked.

Ewald sighed. "And that is the conundrum. How do you teach someone the art of violence, without violence itself? There is no good answer; I can attest that many exorcists under my tutelage ended up in the infirmary over the course of their training."

She could see Xenovia wince at that. Unpleasant memories, no doubt.

"But if there's one thing I want each of you to take away from this . . ." Ewald slammed his hands on a desk. "It's that on a battlefield, the enemy will not hold back. They will not play fair. They will not even let you have a chance to respond, if possible. Sometimes, they will bring the fight to you, and you will have to stand your ground – no matter how leaden your arms, no matter how unsteady your legs. Use everything at your disposal to ensure that you live to see another day . . ." He leaned back. "And that _they_ do not."

He paused and took a deep breath. "I apologize if I sound too intense. Combat is as much a medium of the mind as it is a medium of the body. It is _crucial_ that you have the right mindset, lest a foe take advantage of your naivete. And while a Rating Game is not a real war, you should still take it seriously and treat it as such."

He glanced at the clock. "I believe that is all we have time for. If you have any questions, I will be staying for a while longer. That is all."

As the rustle of movement stirred up in the classroom once more, Sayaka blinked.

Well, that was strange.

She was just in a class for several hours.

And she _liked_ it.

Granted, the material was far more interesting than anything else she ever learned, but still!

She had an image to uphold.

xxx

"You're not quite all there, are you?"

Kyoko froze, her body still slouched over her desk. "W – What are ya talking about?"

They were now alone in the classroom, the other students having left once MacGregor had effortlessly won the challenge. A few of them had given her "looks" before departing, such as Irina giving her a worried glance, but she had just smiled and shooed them away.

Perhaps that was a mistake? If one of them had stayed, she could've used them as an excuse to leave. But now, she was trapped.

"I can see a thread. A fine thread, so faintly woven that anyone without my skill in magic would be hard-pressed to see. It stretches out behind you, its ethereal line rising higher and higher, far beyond what the eye can see." His eyes glinted. "If I'm not mistaken, the line connects to Heaven, doesn't it?"

Too late to deny anything she supposed. Best to figure out his intentions if she could.

". . . What's it to you?"

"Nothing, really. Just wanted to indulge my curiosity." He shrugged and turned away from her. "You may leave now if you wish. I'm sure your companion is worried about you."

Kyoko blinked. Was that . . . was that really it? "Wait, really? You're not . . . you're not going to try to blackmail me or anything?"

He turned to her with a frown. "Now why would I do something like that? Our factions are in an alliance with each other, you know?"

"Under-the-table dealings happen all the time!"

"That is true," he admitted. "But is your peculiar status truly that terrible of a secret?" His eyes bored into her own. "Why is it a secret? I'll admit that it _is_ unusual for a soul to be able to attach itself to an artificial body so easily, but there are stranger things in this world."

"Cause . . ." Kyoko paused. Why . . . why _was_ it a secret, anyway? This wasn't their old world. They weren't the only things that went bump in the night anymore. Keeping it a secret from the general public was important to maintain the line between their worlds, but was there any reason to do the same to other members of the supernatural?

. . . She couldn't think of any. Not off the top of her head, at least. The only reason they were keeping it secret was because it was what they had always done.

". . . People would look at us weird if they knew what we really were," she finished. It was a lame excuse and they both knew it.

MacGregor laughed. "Believe me, there are many things far more deserving of 'weird looks' than you." His face creased into a serious expression. "I do not care if you are a soul inhabiting a puppet. I do not care if you are a puppet who grew a soul. All I care about is whether you accept our ideals of peace, and if you are . . ." He smiled. "Know that we are willing to accept you in return, whoever, or whatever, you are."

She found herself at a loss after that little speech. It just felt so . . . comforting, like a soothing warmth spreading throughout her body. Having spent much of her life in a dog-eat-dog sort of world, the idea of unconditional acceptance from literal strangers felt foreign to her.

But . . . it wasn't an unpleasant thought. Not at all. In fact, she thought it would be nice to live in that kind of world, where a child's innocence wasn't stolen at a young age, where tragedies were not around every corner.

". . . Thanks," she managed to say at last.

He nodded as he began walking towards the door. "Glad to be of assistance." His footsteps paused. "Whether you choose to reveal your secret is up to you. Tell them, tell them not . . . it won't matter. It _shouldn't_ matter. That is what this school, and by extension, we, are trying to espouse, no?"

Kyoko nodded slowly. "Yeah . . . I think I get it now."

He gave her one last smile before turning around. As he stepped through the doorway, he paused. "By the way . . ."

She glanced up curiously, wondering what more he could possibly add.

"If you had used your illusion magic, your group would've won."

Before she could get a word in, he left, leaving her to stare blankly at the door in a quiet, empty room.

xxx

"Try greeting your Sacred Gear! I always say, 'good morning' to Ddraig whenever I get up in the morning!"

Homura rubbed her forehead at his . . . less than helpful advice. "If calling its name failed to produce results, I fail to see why saying 'good morning' would be any different."

She had ended up with Issei as her partner for this exercise. Azazel claimed that he had formed the pairings completely at random, but knowing him, there was some ulterior reasoning behind these picks.

What it could be, she didn't have a clue. And she didn't really care either. All she wanted was to get this over with, something that she _thought_ would be easy since she had been in contact with her Sacred Gear twice already . . .

Unfortunately, it was stubbornly refusing to respond now. Why that might be, she didn't have a clue. And Issei's earnest suggestions, unfortunately, had yet to bear fruit.

The boy furrowed his brows. "Hmm . . . what if you gave it a nickname? Ddraig always wakes up to tell me to shut up whenever I mention his nickname –"

" _ **If you finish that sentence, I will ask Albion to use his dividing power on you. Specifically on your lower region. And then your lovers will be very upset."**_

". . . Shutting up now."

Homura wasn't at all surprised by the dragon's sudden telepathic entrance into the conversation. A certain rat had done the same to her on far more occasions than she could count. "As I said, I don't think flinging around words in my head is going to help."

Issei paced back-and-forth relentlessly. "C'mon, think, think! At this rate, we're gonna lose to Vali!"

Over at the other end of the classroom, Vali and Tobio were deep in conversation. From what little she could overhear, it sounded like they were making steady progress.

She felt an eyebrow twitch. "I do not believe that Azazel-san arranged this exercise just so the two of you could one-up each other." A pause. "On second thought, that might very well be possible . . ."

Issei chuckled. "Yeah, sounds like something the old man would cook up." He stopped in place. "Well, do you have any ideas, Ddraig? You must know something!"

" _ **Only God knows the secrets behind his beloved Sacred Gear system. But if you are trying to achieve a result, it may help to see how it was done in the past."**_

In the past? Homura's mind drifted down memory lane. Staring down a vicious fallen angel hovering in the sky, a rain of light spears falling around them. Glaring at a cruel, twisted devil, an array of equally twisted creatures surrounding them. What was the common thread between them?

An imminent sense of danger. And . . .

A strong sense of desire. To protect her very best friend. And by extension, to protect those around her. Because Madoka would be devastated if she let someone die when she had the power to save them.

"I think . . . I have an idea," she said.

She told them about the two times she heard a voice in her head, a voice that claimed to be the Longinus that she possessed, and the speculation that she had just thought of.

Issei had a thoughtful expression. "A strong sense of desire? Yeah, that makes sense. Didn't you tell me something similar once, Ddraig?"

" _ **Indeed. Your King also mentioned it to you, back when you first met."**_

"So, all you have to do is feel lots of desire, and your Sacred Gear should wake up and talk to you! Simple, right?"

Homura had her doubts about that. "Easy for you to say, but producing a feeling on demand, especially one as abstract as desire is quite difficult."

"It's not hard at all! Just watch." He pulled a photo out of his pocket and stared at it.

It was like he became a different man. Homura could almost visibly _see_ the immense aura that now surrounded him, waves of rippling energy. It contained a certain . . . feeling. A feeling that was intense, almost overwhelmingly so, but was crucial to all sentient life. It was what drove people, what allowed them to move forward toward their wonderful everyday.

And just as fast as it appeared, it vanished.

"See? I kind of cheated a bit by Boosting it so you could see what I was talking about, but you get the idea now!"

Homura blinked. That was . . . something else. For just a moment, this innocent-looking, brown-haired boy standing before her with a goofy smile looked . . . intimidating.

"What . . . what was that photo you just looked at?"

Issei, seeing that it was still in his hand, quickly put it away with a sheepish look. "It's nothing! Just something to help remind me whenever the going gets tough."

" _ **Which is quite often, apparently, considering how often you look at it."**_

"Hey! I can look at it whenever I'm _not_ super stressed out too!" He coughed. "Anyway, what I'm saying is that you should find your happy place. But instead of making you feel happy, it should make you feel desire. It should remind you of . . . why? Why are you fighting? What are you trying to achieve?"

What . . . was she trying to achieve?

A smiling face, bathed in radiance, rose up in the depths of her mind.

 _That smile. I want to protect that smile._

Instinctively, her hand rose up to stroke the ribbon in her hair. How long has she had it now? She couldn't even remember a time when she _wasn't_ wearing it. But despite the long years, it had never shown a single sign of wear and tear.

She thought it fitting, that the ribbon that represented her connection with Madoka to be just as unbreakable as their bond.

And as the wellspring in her soul bubbled forth, it carried with it something brighter, something hotter, something . . . alien.

 _ **What are you willing to sacrifice, for the sake of your ambitions?**_

A familiar voice spoke to her. Finally. About time it showed up.

 _Nice of you to finally answer. I don't intend on sacrificing anything else right now, though._

 _ **If my services are not needed, then I shall take my leave.**_

 _Wait!_

She could feel it pause, like it had stopped and turned around.

 _. . . I want to talk._

 _ **Talk? I am a merchant of miracles, one who accepts offerings in exchange for the power to change the world. Nothing more, nothing less. There is nothing for me to talk about.**_

 _At least tell me how to get in touch with you reliably. What if I need your help, but you fail to respond?_

 _ **You may reach me the same way you always have. If you call on me, I will answer.**_

 _. . . Very well then._

Homura blinked rapidly as she opened her eyes, only to see Issei's eager face in front of her own.

"So? How did it go? You weren't responding for a while there, so I assume that it worked?!"

"It worked, alright," she admitted.

"Really? That's great! Hey, Vali! We finished before you!"

Not as fruitful of an encounter as she would've liked, but at least now she had an idea of how to reliably summon that inner voice of hers.

A mental image. She could do that; she spent plenty of time visualizing something similar back during her time loops, during some of her darkest days.

Her smile. That was always what brought light to her darkness, and it would be no different now.

Her eyebrows twitch as she heard something crash. It seemed that Vali, unsatisfied with his loss, had challenged Issei to something else and now they were . . . vaulting over the desks? And Issei's foot had gotten caught on one of the chairs, resulting in his untimely retirement from the competition.

Something fluttering to the ground caught her eye. She plucked it out of the air and looked at it.

It was a group photo. Rias and the rest of her peerage were smiling, their faces brimming with joy. In the center was Issei, sitting with a happy smile of his own in front of a birthday cake.

It was such a simple, mundane thing. And from what she heard of the boy's reputation, she would've expected something a bit more scandalous. But . . . she could tell how happy they all were, taking part in a celebration for someone they cared about.

It was a feeling she had never felt. Her life was a sequence of one conflict after another, and she had learned quickly to close her heart to others.

Don't get too attached. That was what she told herself, day-by-day, during that dark period of her life.

She wondered what it would've been like if she and the other magical girls had been able to live normal, happy lives. Would she still be a brooding, isolated loner? Or would she be an innocent, happy girl, with a photo just like this on her shelf?

"W – Wait – where is it – ah, Akemi-san!"

Wordlessly, she held out the photo to its rightful owner. "You dropped this."

"Ehehehe, thanks." He took it with a sheepish look. "I bet you think it's uncool for a guy like me to be carrying something like this around."

She looked at him thoughtfully, seeing him in a light she had never seen him in before.

"No . . ." she said.

"Not at all."

xxx

Azazel envied human parents. Theydidn't have to deal with superpowered teenagers running around making terrible life decisions. Unless, of course, they were (un)lucky enough to have a child born with a Sacred Gear, in which case there was always the off-chance that life would suddenly get very, very difficult for them.

Adopting Vali held the prize for "best/worst" decision of his life (right next to having sex with a human woman and falling). He remembered the heartbreak and sorrow of the bad times and the joy and happiness of the good times. It was a roller-coaster that he was glad to have ridden, but it was something he promised himself he wouldn't go through again.

A promise that he was now _very_ close to breaking when a certain goddess had asked him to help a certain frigid girl with the most ubiquitous of teenage problems . . . making friends.

Which is why he and his (temporary) class were now sitting around a table playing Old Maid.

"King pair." Homura set the cards down and offered her remaining card to the left.

Tobio took it and smiled. "Ten pair." He held out his remaining card to Issei.

Issei grabbed it, his expression tense. His eyes darted to Vali, the only other player who still had a card in hand.

Vali rolled his eyes. "We all know you have the old maid. Hurry up and pass me your hand."

"You might know that I have it . . ." His hands became a blur, shuffling his two cards back-and-forth. "But do you know which one it is?!"

His hands stopped, holding the cards out towards his rival.

Without hesitation, the White Dragon Emperor plucked a card out of his hand. "Four pair." He smirked.

Issei's face slammed onto the table. "Damnit! How did you know?!"

"It was pretty easy to track your hand movements. And even if I hadn't, it was a pretty easy read, considering you were angling one of the cards away from me like you didn't want me to pick it."

"Guhhhhhh . . ."

Azazel chuckled. "You might want to work harder on your poker face, Ise-kun. You won't get anywhere in this game by being an open book!"

"I believe this is Hyoudou-san's third loss in a row? If you'd like, I could point out all the tells in your body language," Tobio said with a smile. "It might take quite some time to get through them all, though."

". . . I think I've had enough learning for one day, thank you very much," came the muffled the reply.

Azazel glanced at Homura, who was observing in silence. Looks like this was going to be a tough one.

"You had quite the poker-face yourself, Akemi-san," he said. "Where'd you pick it up?"

A terse reply. "Years of experience."

Tobio looked at her curiously. "Years, you say? How did that come about?"

She shrugged. "When you keep secrets for as long as I have, it comes naturally."

"An adept secret keeper, are we?" Azazel leaned forward with an easy grin. "You'd fit nicely in the Grigori. We'd love to have you!"

"No thanks."

He had expected the rejection, but he was still mildly miffed at how instantaneous it was. And while he was curious about those "secrets" she claimed to be keeping, he knew better than anyone that sometimes, it was best to not pry.

Some stones were best left unturned.

"Hey, Akemi-san." Issei's face had broken off its sudden engagement with the table. "I was wondering – what do you do for fun?"

She blinked. ". . . Fun?"

"I suppose you mean recreational activities?" Tobio scratched his chin. "While it may sound strange, I do find my day job as a bartender to be quite entertaining. Mixing drinks holds a certain sense of satisfaction and accomplishment."

Vali nodded in approval "A most mature pastime." His eyes glanced over. "But I think we all know what my rival does in _his_ spare time."

"H – Hey! Don't go making assumptions about me!"

Azazel chuckled. "I'm afraid it's too late for that, Issei-kun. Your infamous reputation has already sunk its teeth into everyone."

As the boy continued to splutter denials, the fallen angel kept his eyes on Homura, who was frowning with a pensive look on her face, paying no attention at all to the drama unfolding before her.

Excellent. Now to put his plan into action.

"Why are you here, Akemi-san?" he asked softly.

Her eyes darted to him. "What do you mean by that?" she asked in an equally low tone.

"I've noticed that you seemed a bit more . . . irritable than usual. Like you don't want to be here." He raised an eyebrow. "So, then, why are you here? Is it because your goddess asked you to come?"

". . ."

Despite her silence, he found his answers in the words left unspoken. That, and the fact that he knew the answer beforehand.

"Do you know what it means to be selfish?" he asked.

"Caring for yourself and no other. Isn't that why angels fall?" she said sardonically.

Azazel laughed dryly. "You've got me there. Angels fall for selfish reasons." He smiled bitterly. "But . . . being selfish is not a sin. There are plenty of selfish people in this world who care for others as much as they do themselves. No . . ." He leaned back, regarding her coolly. "In moderation, being selfish simply means taking care to not neglect oneself."

". . . I see."

He leaned forward again, resting his head in his hands. "I won't ask for specifics, but . . . do you know what makes you happy?"

She nodded.

"Does it involve helping someone else, perchance?"

Slowly, she nodded again.

He smiled. "Relationships involve a series of give-and-takes from both sides, and if it's too one-sided, then she might feel like she's taking advantage of you, y'know? Perhaps, instead of doing things for her all the time, you ask her to do something for you every now and then. She would be happy, I think, to have the chance to make _you_ happy. So, you'd both be pleased with this outcome. Win-win, right?"

She regarded him coolly. "I didn't say anything about who it was."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course, of course, do forgive me. I was just rambling to myself; pay no mind to an old fogey like me."

But despite her words, he could see the gears turning in her head, the seed of an idea being planted as she hovered over it, deciding whether she wanted to crush it underfoot . . .

Or let it grow. To let it flourish and take root.

Well, it was out of his hands now. That was one of the acceptable ways to wrap up his end of the deal, and if he had his way, he wouldn't accept another like it for a _long_ time.

Of course, that self-made promise would only last until someone else offers to show him something as fascinating as that goddess's barrier. He really should reign in his curiosity at times.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you, _old maid!_ "

"Don't play deaf, _Butt Dragon Emperor!_ "

Azazel sighed. He should probably go break that up before the two of them got into a fight and burned the school down.

That wouldn't be good for foreign relations.

xxx

Omake: A New Teacher in Town

Madoka was in Heaven. Which was ironic, because she was actually in Hell.

"W – Would you like some more biscuits?"

"I would love some more, Asia-chan!"

Madoka bit down. The soft, chewy surface was just as delightful as she remembered. If anything, it was even better than before!

"This is delicious! You must've worked very hard to improve so quickly."

Asia blushed. "W – Well, after Akemi-san taught me how to cook, I kinda got interested, and one thing led to another and –"

"Say no more! I'm sure you'll be able to open your own restaurant at this rate. And when you do, you can count on me to be your best customer!"

Asia reddened further. "T – That's too kind – !"

Madoka laughed. "There's no such thing!" She sipped the tea the nun had prepared for her. It was equally as impressive as the biscuits, if not more so. "What a soothing taste! I really should take you home with me, so I could wake up to this kind of meal every day!"

The nun turned away in embarrassment. "A – Aren't you supposed to be teaching the other students?"

Madoka blinked. Right, that was a thing. She had kind of forgotten, lost in the mind-numbing pleasure of culinary pleasure.

Glancing around the room, she saw that nothing was exploding or on fire, which was a good start. Rias and Mami were still locked in an intense battle, their gazes growing more intense as they tried to outdo the other.

She still didn't quite know how that little competition started. Rias had immediately perked up after learning what the class was about, muttering something about how "if she couldn't tame the beast with her body, then she would just tame it through its stomach instead." After soaking up Madoka's introductory lesson like a sponge, she had immediately set out to create a "culinary masterpiece".

Mami had taken that goal as a challenge and sought to surpass it, saying that she "wouldn't be outdone by a novice." But despite being a rival for the devil, she still frequently gave advice and tips to Rias: a suggestion for portions here, a recommendation of ingredients there . . . Madoka was glad to see that the helpful senpai she knew was still going strong.

Somewhere along the line, the goddess had gotten around to Asia's station and been trapped there ever since. A choice that she did not regret; if she had to eat food prepared by one person for the rest of time, that one person would _definitely_ be Asia.

The sound of stomping drew near.

Madoka blinked and looked up. A giant stone statue with glowing blue eyes loomed over her.

Oh yeah. That Gogmagog was in her class too. She had forgotten that it was even there with how quiet it's been.

The giant set down a large bowl in front of her with a heavy thunk. In front of the bowl, a sheet of paper with the words "Rock Candy" messily scrawled on it could be seen.

". . . Is this what you made?" Madoka asked with a hint of confusion. Which was perfectly understandable – the bowel was empty.

The golem held a hand over the bowl. The limb began disintegrating, chunks of rock falling into the container with a cacophony of thuds.

Once the torrent stopped, the giant lowered its arm, the stump already beginning to reconstruct itself. It pulled out a bag of sugar, dumping its contents in as well. Once the entire surface was covered in white, it shook the bowel, mixing the contents. Finally, the golem reached into the bowel, pulled out a freshly hewed chunk of rock, and placed it in the crevice that vaguely resembled a mouth . . .

 **Crunch!**

Rock shards and sugar particles fell to the ground as the golem stretched the crevice on its face into something resembling a smile. And for added measure, it gave her a thumbs up with its other hand as well.

". . . You think it tastes good?"

It stiffly nodded at her.

Madoka eyed the bowl warily. She had the feeling that its contents weren't exactly suitable for consumption by normal people . . . but she would feel bad if she didn't at least _try_ it, considering the amount of effort her student put in.

She hesitantly plucked out a sugar-covered rock, noticing its rough texture, hard surface, and general inedibility.

Well. Maybe it would surprise her?

She placed it in her mouth and bit down.

 **Crunch!**

. . . Tasted like rock. And sugar. But mostly just rock.

At least, the rock didn't seem to be as hard as normal. She didn't bite down very hard, but the rock collapsed easily despite the lack of force.

Didn't improve the taste much, but at least she didn't have to deal with broken teeth.

She made a pained grimace. ". . . 'A' for effort?"

The Gogmagog gave her another stiff smile, nodding its head up and down in what she could only guess was happiness.

Asia, seemingly surprised by her rating, piped up. "An 'A'? That's a good score! I think I'll try it too . . . ."

Her arm reached out, only to be caught by Madoka's hand.

"You won't regret passing on this one. Trust me. Stick to those soft, buttery biscuits, if you will."

Asia blinked at her. "Oh, um, okay."

Madoka sighed as she leaned back. Crisis averted. She didn't know what she would have done if her best source of biscuit and tea had gotten corrupted by this . . . travesty.

Probably despair. And that wouldn't be good for her. Or anyone else, for that matter.

"I've finished, Madoka-sama!"

She blinked as Rias slammed her creation down in front of her. It looked like . . . a cake. A cake with uneven proportions, inconsistent coloring, and looked like it had _far_ more ingredients than it should.

The highlight was a pair of coconuts set into the top with two lines of icing running parallel down next to them, creating the outline of a very . . . suggestive image.

Well. She certainly knew who the cake was _for_ now.

"My work is done as well, Madoka-sama."

In comparison, Mami's cake looked _far_ more elegant; the proportions were even, the icing was smooth . . . the overall presentation just looked much better.

However, she couldn't help but feel that she had seen that exact same cake before in another world, another life. It wasn't as unique, not as filled to the brim with emotions as Rias's was.

But at the end of the day, technique and emotions were both valid ways to express oneself through cooking.

"You both did very well."

They both smiled at her in return, happy that their efforts were recognized.

 _It doesn't matter how you go about it._

She smiled at them, proud of their work.

 _So long as it put a smile on someone's face in the end, it was worth it._


End file.
